A Lesson About the Tongue

"Death and life find power in the tongue." ~ King Solomon

One of my favorite classroom mottos reads:
Watch your thoughts, they become your words.
Watch your words, they become your actions.
Watch your actions, they become your habits.
Watch your habits, they become your character.
Watch your character, it becomes your legacy.

I have it posted on the whiteboard in the front of our classroom.

Many times throughout the year, we discuss this clever admonition and refer to it in terms of historical as well as personal significance. It immediately came to mind during Pastor Matthew St. John's message last Sunday on Taming the Tongue.

These are the lessons I learned from that message along with the realization that I need constant reminders to help harness the power of my tongue.

The approach of the wise teacher vs. the foolish teacher:

• A wise teacher will be gentle with their words while a foolish teacher uses words harshly.
  
• A wise teacher will use words that are pure rather than foul words of a foolish teacher.
  
• A wise teacher uses words to build others up whereas a foolish teacher's words demean and diminish others.
  
• A wise teacher goes to the source for truth, a foolish teacher avoids the source.
  
• A wise teacher believes and expects the best and a foolish teacher presumes the worst.
  
• A wise teacher knows when to be SILENT ~ a foolish teacher spreads gossip.
  

I recently had the privilege of submitting a story for an upcoming publication of Chicken Soup for the Soul ~ Teacher Tales. The renowned series contains 101 stories in each book with varying stories typically around a central theme. My story will be #55- Tools of the Trade and will be nestled among other teachers' stories about their students, classrooms, and the teaching profession. The new book will be in bookstores in February. Tools of the Trade speaks to the power of words and how our words are much like tools that when used in the right way for the right purpose have great potential for good but conversely, when used wrongly, can induce great damage, dissension, and destruction.

I have included it on the next post as an illustration to the importance of Taming our Tongue. The quote that will accompany my story is a beloved quote of mine from Elie Wiesel, "Sometimes words, in moments of grace, can attain the quality of deeds." Proverbs 15:1 would have been perfectly fitting as well, "A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger."

As a teacher, I know that each day I have the awesome responsibility of using my words wisely~ using them to build, to encourage, to love, to teach, to speak truthfully, and to impart the message to each of my students that they have incredible value and beauty. My prayer each day as I enter my classroom is Psalm 19:14, May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer. 

And with regard to colleagues as of late, I also whisper this prayer:
Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips. ~Psalm 141:3