The tongue is only a tiny part of the
body, but it is very powerful. It can do great things. It is said, the tongue that
is six inch long, can kill a man six feet tall. And that is because the tongue has
been used in a destructive manner, not only to slander people, but to highlight
the flaws and the faults of others. We can also use the tongue constructively.
It is a double edged sword. We can use the tongue to encourage people, to give hope
to those who feel discouraged in life. We can use the tongue to speak the truth,
to proclaim the Word of God, to speak words of inspiration to others. It is
good for us to catch ourselves, to see how destructive we use our tongue, or always
in a very constructive manner. Those of us who are in authority have even a
greater responsibility in the way we use our tongues. As leaders, we can actually
build a person up, or we can discourage a person. The words we use, the tone we
use, can actually give hope to those who are struggling, to those who are insecure
about themselves. Our subordinates take our words seriously. And nothing can
hurt our subordinates more than the words of a leader, if he speaks in a very harsh
and nasty tone, and using words that really put a dagger into the hearts of
those people working for us. If you cannot control the tongue, you should
not be a leader, because you are destroying lives. You are not helping to
build the organisation or the community. My dear brothers and sisters, yet the
truth remains. The tongue is the most difficult part of the body to control.
So, how do we know that we have grown in holiness? It is when we are able to control
our tongue. But actually, it is like a rudder. That is to say, it is only an
instrument. It has no power of its own, actually. The real power comes from the
heart and the mind. If the heart is compassionate, if the heart is
sympathetic, if the heart is loving, if the heart is open and receptive,
whatever words that come from our hearts would be loving words,
encouraging words, forgiving words, compassionate words. And not only just
the heart, even the head. What we think about people, how we think about people.
Our words reflect the way we judge people. And very often, most of us, we
don't have all the information. From some hearsay, some people say this, some people
say that, and we presume. So, it is all these gossiping. And then we tend to
trust without verification, without trying to see whether it is true. And we
continue using that wrong information to make presumptuous judgement. And
that is why, very often, especially in the community, in the office, a lot
of divisions, simply because of gossiping and slanders. And of course, this is
possible only because the leader encourages it, because the leader
himself is doing it. If the leader does not do it, the subordinates would not do
it. It is like that. We set the example. So, my dear brothers and
sisters, how then can we tame our tongue? We need to spend time in prayer.
Because very often, we are not too clear of what is in our hearts, what is in our minds.
We need some purification. So, we need to listen. Listen to what the Lord is
saying, before we open our mouths to say anything. Silence is very important,
listening to the Lord in prayer and contemplation. So, my dear brothers and
sisters, we need to pass the three tests. Is it true? Is it good? Is it useful? If
it's not true, it's not good, it's not useful, just keep it to yourself.
