We can never hear the warning often enough. The tongue (or typing finger) may be small, but oh so deadly when not under the sanctifying grace of God.
Lin Pearson
Effective Children's Ministry
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The Problem of Gossip By F. Franklyn Wise Practical pointers on learning to rein the tongue. 44 pages. |
I need Thee, O Lord, for a curb on my tongue; when I am tempted to making carping criticisms and cruel judgements, keep me from speaking barbed words that hurt, and in which I find perverted satisfaction. Keep me from unkind words and from unkind silences. Restrain my judgements. Make my criticisms kind, generous, and constructive. Make me sweet inside, that I may be gentle with other people, gentle in the things I say, kind in what I do. Create in me that warmth of mercy that shall enable others to find Thy strength for their weakness, Thy peace for their strife, Thy joy for their sorrow, Thy love for their hatred, Thy compassion for their weakness. In thine own strong name, I pray. Amen.
Peter Marshall
Spiritual Portrait
November 10, 2010
When a sincere compliment comes to mind, don't hesitate to give it.
Janette Oke
Website
Those of us who are endowed with the dangerous gift of humour have need, sometimes, to stop and take the word out of our mouth and look at it, and see whether it is quite to edification.
Charles Haddon Spurgeon
The Spurgeon Archive
A man may seem to be silent, but if his heart is condemning others, he is babbling ceaselessly. But there may be another who talks from morning till night and yet he is truly silent, that is, he says nothing that is not profitable.
Pimen
Perhaps we have been guilty of speaking against someone and have not realized how it may have hurt them. Then when someone speaks against us, we suddenly realize how deeply such words hurt, and we become sensitive to what we have done.
Theodore Epp
Biography and Devotionals
If your reputation is perfectly intact on every front, if you never irritate anyone, if you never make a stir, you might be doing something wrong - or more likely, you're not doing something right. "Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for in the same way their fathers used to treat the false prophets" (Luke 6:26). The Bible has a crystal clear promise: All who live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution" (2 Tim. 3:12). If we never experience persecution, if we never make a single soul angry (as Christ often did), something is probably wrong.
R Terry
Gratitude as a discipline involves a conscious choice. I can choose to be grateful even when my emotions and feelings are still steeped in hurt and resentment. It is amazing how many occasions present themselves in which I can choose gratitude instead of a complaint. I can choose to grateful when I am criticized, even when my heart still responds in bitterness. I can choose to speak about goodness and beauty, even when my inner eye still looks for someone to accuse or something to call ugly.
Henri J. M. Nouwen
Nouwen Centre
Notice, we never pray for folks we gossip about, and we never gossip about the folk for whom we pray! For prayer is a great deterrent.
Leonard Ravenhill
Archives and Articles
Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.
Mother Teresa
Informational Website
More churches have been destroyed by the accuser of the brethren and its faultfinding than by either immorality or misuse of church funds. So prevalent is this influence in our society that, among many, faultfinding has been elevated to the status of a "ministry"!
Francis Frangipane
Ministries of Francis Frangipane
If you want the truth to go round the world you must hire an express train to pull it; but if you want a lie to go round the world. it will fly; it is as light as a feather, and a breath will carry it. It is well said in the old proverb,'a lie will go round the world while truth is putting its boots on.
Charles Haddon Spurgeon
The Spurgeon Archive
Never trust your tongue when your heart is bitter.
Samuel J. Hurwitt
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Mean Girls All Grown Up: Surviving Catty and Conniving Women By Hayley DiMarco Gossip, insults, and cutthroat competition don't automatically stop after high school. You'll find the same sour notes at college, work, and even church! DiMarco shows you how to deal with an "ugly" past, understand meanness, realize the beauty of positive friendships---and see yourself in a whole new light! Includes quizzes, Scriptures, and inspirational quotes. 224 pages, softcover from Revell. |
You are confronted again and again with the choice of letting God speak or letting your wounded self cry out. Although there has to be a place where you can allow your wounded part to get the attention it needs, your vocation is to speak from the place in you where God dwells.
Henri J. M. Nouwen
Nouwen Centre
Kind words do not cost much. They never blister the tongue or lips. They make other people good-natured. They also produce their own image on men's souls, and a beautiful image it is.
Blaise Pascal
Biography
Gossip is a sin that comes very naturally to a lot of people, especially women. We love to talk about other people, but often we are cutting down those people and not lifting them up. Our Gossip can tear apart even the closest friends. Make an effort to bring up something good about a person every time that you hear a negative comment and try to refrain from making negative comments yourself.
Streams of Light
Kind words produce their own image in men's souls; and a beautiful image it is. They soothe and quiet and comfort the hearer. They shame him out of his sour, morose, unkind feelings. We have not yet begun to use kind words in such abundance as they ought to be used.
Blaise Pascal
Biography
I would rather play with forked lightning, or take in my hand living wires with their fiery current, than speak a reckless word against any servant of Christ, or idly repeat the slanderous darts which thousands of Christian are hurling on others.
A. B. Simpson
Biography/Bibliography
T - Is it true?
H - Is it helpful?
I - Is it inspiring?
N - Is it necessary?
K - Is it kind?
If what I am about to say does not pass those tests, I will keep my mouth shut!
Alan Redpath
Brief Biography And Bibliography
Gossip is the devil's radio.
Anonymous
If thou wouldest be a good neighbour, take heed of thy tongue...That thou with it give no offensive language to thy neighbour, to the provoking of him to anger. Bear much, put up wrongs, and say little...And as thou shouldest take heed that thou be not the original of contention and anger, so also take heed that thou be not an instrument to beget it between parties, by tale-bearing and a gossiping spirit: "He that passeth by, and meddleth with strife belonging not to him, is like one that taketh a dog by the ears."
John Bunyan
Online Library
Of all the sins which a human is capable, none is so easy to commit [as back-biting], none so difficult to repair.
Claude de la Colombiere
Biography
Few are they who manage to dam the rush of water. Sill fewer are they who are able to stem the gossiping tongue.
Anonymous
\ You cannot stop people's tongues, and therefore the best thing to do is to stop your own ears and never mind what is spoken.
Charles Haddon Spurgeon
The Spurgeon Archive
Too many women have too much leisure time for their own good. They have time for criticism, gossip, faultfinding, and complaining. They have time for idle games and lay too much attention to things of the flesh. There are other women who have too little time for the enduring things of life. They are too busy flitting about doing this and that. They have great activity and much doing, but they lack time for building Christian characters. Both kinds of women -- the too-idle and the too-busy need to take time for meditation and quiet repose in prayer to God. They need time to cultivate their souls that in turn they may cultivate their children's lives.
Billy Graham
Billy Graham Organization
Samson slew 1,000 Philistines with the jawbone of an ass. I have destroyed as many relationships with the same weapon.
Anonymous
A soft answer turneth away wrath, but grevious words stir up anger. (Pr 15:1) What a valuable mine of practical wisdom is this Book of God! Let us ponder this valuable rule for self-discipline, family peace, and Church unity. Scripture often illustrates the different effects of the tongue. The soft answer is the water to quench - Grevious words are the oil to stir up, the fire. And this is alas! man's natural propensity, to feed rather than to quench, the angry flame. We yield to irritation; retort upon our neighbour; have recourse to self-justification; insist upon the last word; say all that we could say; and think we "do well to be angry." (Jonah 4:9.) Neither party gives up an atom of the will. Pride and passion on both sides strike together like two flints; and "behold! how great a matter a little fire kindleth!" (James 3:5.) Thus there is the self-pleasing sarcasm; as if we had rather lose a friend, than miss a clever stroke. All this the world excuses as a sensitive and lively temper. But the gospel sets before us our Saviour's example (1 Peter 2:23); imbues with his spirit; and imparts that blessed "charity, that is not easily provoked" (1 Cor. 13:5); and therefore is careful not to provoke a chafed or wounded spirit. If others begin, let us forbear from continuing the strife. `Patience is the true peace-maker'. Soft and healing words gain a double victory - over ourselves and our brother.
Charles Bridges
Pssst, Heard Any Good Gossip Lately? An article on the proper way to speak of others when they're not in your presence.
If I can enjoy a joke at the expense of another; if I can in any way slight another in conversation, or even in thought, then I know nothing of Calvary love.
Amy Carmichael
Biography And Bibliography
God has given us two ears, but one tongue, to show that we should be swift to hear, but slow to speak. God has set a double fence before the tongue, the teeth and the lips, to teach us to be wary that we offend not with our tongue.
Thomas Watson
Online Works And Biography
August 18, 2009
For such is the weakness of human nature, alas, that evil is often more readily believed and spoken of another than good. But perfect men do not easily believe every tale that is told them, for they know that man's nature is prone to evil, and his words to deception.
Thomas a Kempis
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