10 Commandments of the Tongue

(1) Thou shalt not gossip. Prov. 18:8 Before any evil story whispered in the ear is passed on, it should be treated as the housewife treats apples for a pie ... first peeled, then quartered, and cored, then what remains liberally sugared.

(2) Thou shalt not use a multitude of empty words. Prov. 10:19. Your tongue reveals the nature of your thinking and your character. The divine Master Himself admonishes the children of men to "let your admonishes be yea, yea, nay, nay, for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil."

(3) Thou shalt not boast. Prov. 27:2 A small man makes long, loud boasting in order to center the spotlight of attention on himself; the great man works quietly, Silently polishing the beacon that it may guide the ship safely into the desired haven.

(4) Thou shalt not flatter. Prov. 26:28 Someone has said that "Flattery is like soft soap; it is 90% lye" - and you can count on the ratio being just about right. The words of the man or woman who would flatter you, according to the psalmist, who had a great deal of experience with that sort of thing, are "softer than oil, yet withdrawn swords."

(5) Thou shalt not grumble. Phil. 2:14 The prescription for this malady is to saturate your life with loving kindness. Let it enter every pore and the process will be absolutely foolproof against the gnawing frets and worries that are worse than termites, to eat the soul out of you.

(6) Thou shalt not backbite or slander. Psalm 64:3 The tongue that backbites or slanders is the weapon that empties churches, pours streams of bickering humans into divorce courts, fills our jails with wretched humanity, and lashes men and woman to Satan's kingdom.

(7) Thou shalt not mock or make fun. Job 11:3 Let us learn sympathy and give our fellows a helping hand instead of mockery, no matter how peculiar or odd they may be. Remember angels visit the earth in all kinds of guises.

(8) Thou shalt not lie. Ex. 20:16 The first recorded lie was told in the garden of Eden. Since then, the practice has spread like a plague throughout the whole earth. Everyone hates a lying tongue.

(9) Thou shalt not swear. Ex. 20:7 Profanity is the official language of the devil's kingdom. Have no part in it for it will disqualify you for heaven.

(10) Thou shalt not argue in anger. Hosea 7:16 Whatever the provocation is remember that "silence is golden" and that "a soft answer turneth away wrath; but grievous words stir up anger" Prov. 15:11

~ Author Unknown