13 Dangers of the Tongue

13

Dangers of the Tongue

As I write this, my heart is very heavy. My hate for sin, Satan, and self is on the increase. I know that Satan is trying to destroy individuals. He doesn’t attack ships, trucks, or church buildings, but rather he attacks people. I have ample proof that one of Satan’s main methods which is being used in these days is the sins of the tongue. Even as I write this, I want to search my own heart, and I come in repentance for words that never should have come from my mouth.

Please read and meditate on these words. . .

For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another (Galatians 5:13-15).

I would urge all teams to make a prayerful study of the sins of the tongue. Please read and meditate on the following Proverbs:11:13; 12:19,22,25; 14:23; 15:1,4; 17:9,28; 18:19; 20:19. We all know many New Testament passages which bring out these truths. Have your team members look up some of these. Matthew 18:15-20 should also be studied and put into practice.

We hear there is an “OM grapevine.” This could be the devil’s telegraph system. For news to be passed from one to another is fine, unless it brings a brother or sister into a negative light. Philippians 4:8 should be our guide. Those of us who teach and preach will be even more guilty according to James 3:1.

Satan is clever—and some of us may be doing things without being aware of it. See 2 Corinthians 2:11. We must be more prayerful and careful when we pass on any information about others.

Matthew 7:12 is another basic rule. Leaders at times must prayerfully evaluate and discuss people. This is why it seems to me that a person who gossips should be disqualified from leadership.

I am 100 percent convinced that some leaders have wrong impressions about other leaders that can be traced back to gossip which, I believe, includes insinuations. The latter is almost more deadly. If we are guilty, then let us repent and put things right.

Team members must be careful of what they say about their leader. God’s Word says, Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses (1 Timothy 5:19).

One of the most foolish things we can do is pass on to a brother or sister something negative and harmful which someone has said about them. Proverbs says this can separate the best of friends. We have seen this happen in the past. When tempted to do such an evil thing, remember the person who said it may have repented or changed his mind, and so what you pass on becomes a lie. Let us avoid such a practice, like the plague.

Ultimately, when we sin with the tongue, we harm ourselves. The judgment we give will often be the judgment we receive.

I pray that every husband and wife in the work will read and heed these things, because as married people we should be more mature. If we know people who have clearly sinned in these matters, then let God’s love and mercy flow towards them. If it is against you, then you must practice Matthew 18:15-20. Don’t fall into the same pit in your effort to help them get out. For some complicated situations, there are no easy answers. If such situations drive us into worry, fear, depression, or discouragement, then we only play into the devil’s hands. The blood of Christ can cover and cleanse. Let us press on with our eyes upon him.

P.S. All of us who feel needy in this area should make an extra effort to study all related verses and books which deal with these problems. Often our sins of the tongue are symptomatic of deeper spiritual needs.

Actions and Reactions

I really believe, attitude is one of the most important qualities of our walk with God. If we quickly repent of wrong attitudes and other dispositional sins, it would bring about spiritual transformation. This is, of course, connected to our actions and reactions. All through the years I have sometimes sinned and failed in this area, mainly at home. I sometimes have hurt people with my quick reactions in leaders and Board meetings.

About 20 years ago two leaders gave me (maybe I requested it) good solid reasons to why not react too quickly, in any harsh or unkind way. Keep in mind, that in some areas a quick reaction can save a life, but we are not talking about that here. I was given two lists which I typed and pasted into my old Bible.

I was sharing these lists at a team meeting in Forest Hill (London) and my faithful secretary urged me to include these two powerful, biblical lists. So, here they are.

Ten Reasons not to Overreact

1. I may be wrong!

2. It makes the other person over-defensive.

3. It is fleshly and not of the Spirit.

4. It breaks the unity.

5. It can hurt others.

6. It is not biblical.

7. It shows a wrong concept of God—forgetting that he is sovereign, in control.

8. It shows a wrong concept of man—we are made in the image of God, he/she must be handled properly.

9. It shows impatience—“Let every man be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.”

10. Christ, our example, did not overreact.

Ten Reasons for not Reacting to Things

1. Because it often reflects our fallen personalities and not biblical principles.

2. It often hurts people of opposite views without helping them.

3. It creates an emotional atmosphere in which rational discussion and true “walking in the light” is difficult.

4. It creates a series of swings of the pendulum in counter-reactions rather than finding the right balance.

5. It makes people fearful of sharing their thoughts the next time.

6. It often involves the flesh and therefore actually grieves the work of the Holy Spirit.

7. It degrades the other person as a human being because of not treating them with true value.

8. It tends to focus on the negative rather than the positive.

9. It can hurt our testimony to non-believers when they are present.

10. The scars of reaction may take years to heal, if ever.

25 Point Strategy for Victory over Lust

1. Focus on Jesus.

2. Walk daily in God’s Word.

3. Repent on a moment-by-moment basis.

4. Worship daily.

5. Meditate and memorize key Scriptures.

6. Share daily with others.

7. Share with others and walk in the light.

8. Realize God’s acceptance of yourself.

9. Exercise daily.

10. Maintain balanced eating habits.

11. Sleep well and have a nap when possible.

12. Be active.

13. Have specific goals and aims.

14. Pray daily and praise God.

15. Read good books and magazines.

16. Listen to praise music and other music.

17. Read the Bible daily and listen to ministry tapes.

18. Travel with one or more companions, and wife

(or husband) when possible.

19. Avoid being completely alone with the opposite gender.

20. Avoid vulnerable zones like news-stands or places that sell pornography.

21. Beware of hotel rooms and stay with God’s people. If in a hotel, disconnect TV.

22. Grow in deep bonding with your wife (or husband) in the knowledge of the Word.

23. Delight in good regular sex life with wife (or husband).

24. Enjoy good and acceptable aspects of our world and culture like a good movie, concerts, walks in scenic places, nice meals, rollercoasters, etc.

25. Keep a balance of truth.

Amateurism vs Professionalism

I recently had a letter in which the subject of amateurism vs professionalism in missions was mentioned. Different articles are being written on this subject and it is leading some people into confusion. We now have one more controversy to deal with, though it’s not new. Often these problems come when people are trying to sell, or oversell, their special vision or program. In their effort to do this, they often put down other people or ministries without realizing it.

I deal with this in my book, Out of the Comfort Zone. I personally feel that the use of these two words and the way people use them are very confusing.

Someone said, “OM is perceived as one of the agencies that recruits and deploys amateurs.” This I believe gives a very false picture. . .plus what do they mean by the term amateurs? Are not the Olympics for amateurs?

Some groups, like OM, are both short and long-term with many people who would be called professionals, working alongside people with a wide variety of training and education. In our early days we had Cambridge and Oxford graduates who worked alongside people with very little formal education. Was one better than the other? All these people needed missionary orientation and training—some before they went on the field, and all of them on the field as well.

Where do we put Jesus and his disciples in all this? What about the two sent out in Acts 13? If we followed some people’s line of thinking, then Jesus Christ and his twelve apostles were the ultimate amateurs! What about the ministry of the Holy Spirit?

Let’s remember you can be trained and be a “professional” and still make huge blunders on the mission field, and of course, at home too. We tend to overreact to mistakes (I know I have sometimes) and quickly communicate that it would not have happened if the person had more training, teaching or better doctrine, etc. That can be an oversimplification, to say the least.

I am convinced that more time and effort we use to criticize one another (there is a place for criticism) should be used in reaching a lost world with the gospel.

We also need more research before we quickly go into print. The work of world missions has become highly complex, which is also true of the church in general. Unless we have a more balanced and grace-awakened approach towards one another and our different churches and movements, then I believe we are destined to greatly hinder what the Holy Spirit is trying to do across the world.

Satan has always tried to bring a wedge between those who have a strong emphasis on “on-the-job and field training” in comparison with academic training. Surely it is not either–or situation, but both. Some people are gifted in studying while out on the field, while others find this almost impossible and need the discipline that a good academic environment gives. I have a message called, “Why Go to Bible College?”

We have found that over the years, thousands who have come short term, often for a specific purpose like working in the engine room on the ship, have later ended up in Bible college or something similar to further prepare for a different kind of ministry. Surely God leads different people in different ways, and he uses people in different ways. Greater obedience to Philippians 2:3 and 4 would bring a lot of balance and reality in all of these.

I submit this, as someone with much yet to learn.