The little girl got home and gave her report card to her daddy.  She got great grades, but a little note from her teacher caught his attention.  "Chamita is doing great in all her classes, but there's one small problem–her tongue.  It's sharp and forked and she never shuts up.  But don't worry Mr. Johnson, I've thought of something I want to try on her that I think will work."  The next day the little girl's daddy rushed her back off to school with a reply note, "Thank you very much for the tip, and please let me know what you do because I want to try it out on her mother."  Hey, if you talk so much even the parrots worried, there's a problem.

As Christians, if we're talking too much were probably not saying the most positive and edifying things to one another–a mindless chatterer is a dangerous person because they don't understand the power of words.  Matter fact the bible says, "Make it your goal to lead a quiet life, minding your own business, and working hard so that you may win the respect of those who are around you."  Some Christians rattle off mindless words like an auctioneer at a trade show because they don't know who they are in Christ.   When I was undercover for 27 years, I use to be the most critical man in black boots.  I would talk about everyone and anything and I hoped I hurt your feelings when I said it. I'd talk about 'yo momma',  your car, your house--I'd routinely say stuff like, "Your house is so small, the front and back door are on the same hinge." Now that's what I call small! I had a machine gun tongue, and unlike Superman, I was cutting people to ribbons in a single bound.  You understand when I say, most people don't want to have much to do with a foul mouth-gossiping fense-setter that doesn't stand for anything.  I use to be that way, but  now I watch my tongue like a hawk because I understand how many lives I destroyed in the past.  If I make a mistake now with something I said, I try to go back and make it right ASAP because God is watching, especially now that I am no longer undercover.  Are you undercover?

James 3:3-6 talks about how such a small part of the human body can cause destruction on mass proportions.  One small spark can set a whole forest ablaze.  How many forest have you burned down today?  Have you been allowing the wet wick of your tongue to continue to strike a dry branch of tension in someone else's life until it starts to smolder?  Start putting those fires out, one by one, with Living Water.  Remember if you don't have anything good to say, don't say it at all, for the Sword says in Proverbs, "He who holds his tongue is wise."  So when your words are often too harsh and too frequent, not being able to put a lid on it like a young Muhammad Ali at an ACT test site, you know you could've appeared in the above video.  Simply get on your knees and ask God for wisdom because he would never turn his back on such a request. Next Friday's post for this 30-day negativity fast will be about the scripture, Proverbs 18:21 "The tongue speaks life and death, and those who love it will eat the fruits thereof."–what God is saying to us about this scripture and what he is not.