Only God Can Tame a Tongue

"Watch your tongue,"
My mother said.
"If you can't say something nice,
Say nothing at all,"
Was the counsel of my dad.
I tried to obey,
But the words still gushed out,
Cruel, hard, angry words.
Only God can tame a tongue.

"Watch your tongue,"
Said my teacher.
"Like sticks and stones,
Words CAN break bones."
I knew she was right,
But the hard words still flowed.
Only God can tame a tongue.

Restless evil,
Deadly poison,
Set on fire by hell itself.
Only God can tame a tongue.

The strength of horses is controlled by man"s bit,
The course of a ship by a rudder directed.
A spark can ignite a raging forest fire,
But only God can tame a tongue.
Man's best friend can be trained to do tricks.
And pigeons can learn to bring messages home.
Dolphins are trained.
Even snakes can be charmed.
But only God can tame man's tongue.

Restless evil,
Deadly poison,
Set on fire by hell itself.
Only God can tame a tongue.

Then I decided,
I made up my mind.
No words, good or bad
Would escape my mouth.
I'd bite my tongue
And walk in silence
To stop the torrent, that painful foul flow
But silence was shattered
In the heat of transgression
Only God can tame a tongue.

Restless evil,
Deadly poison,
Set on fire by hell itself.
Only God can tame a tongue.

Then I read the words of the Master.
From heart's overflow gush the words of the mouth.
And I understood,
He works from the depths,
What pours in is what pours out, so
Let His words sink in to fill up my life.
Let His thoughts pour down to fill up my mind.
Then let joy bubble forth from the springs of my being.
I'll receive His blessings and speak of thanksgiving.
I'll observe His ways and speak praise to God.
I'll speak of delight in the sun and the rain.
I'll seek God's pleasure and I won't be silent.
I'll trust His Presence and Faithfulness in pain.

I still may stumble and fall in my efforts.
He offers forgiveness if I will confess.
I'm only human. I won't seek perfection,
But my perseverance will pass the test.
With God's grace and mercy
My tongue can be softened.
I cannot tame it all by myself,
But filled with His goodness
And with my submission
My God can tame my tongue.

This comes after my reading of James 3, Psalm 39, and Matthew 12:34-35.