Day 3, The Manipulating Tongue

Day 2 - Did reading back to "Day 1" and then reading "Day 2" make the study more clear? If not, let me know. I am excerpting and paraphrasing from the book, "30 Days to Taming Your Tongue" by Deborah Smith Pagues.

I am using some examples from the book as well as my own testimony in trying to get control the speech! Love ya all and thanks for the comments back to me.

Day 3 - The Manipulating Tongue

Then Delilah pouted, "How can you say you love me when you don't confide in me? You've made fun of me three times now, and you still haven't told me what makes you so strong!" Judges 16:15

Samson was a chosen man of God. His weakness was for ungodly women and his strength was in his hair. He was chosen to liberate the Israelites from the Philistines. Samson showed his power and conquered many enemies. BUT, he fell in love with Delilah, who was a Philistine, and she manipulated him with her speech to share the secret of his strength.

She used guilt, pouting, and ego to persuade Samson to share his Godly secret. Well, you know the rest of the story (see Judges 16)--his enemies shaved his head, gouged out his eyes and bound him to a chair. He did cause the temple walls to fall but died along with his enemies.

Okay, what does this have to do with taming our tongue? Have you ever said to husband, "I want that but it's okay, I can wait"; "I sure love that .... that ..... has". Or have you found a weak or vulnerable point and used that to get what you want?

A few repercussions from this type of talk: 1) It isn't Godly. Going back to Day 2 you must believe that God wants to prosper you and has good plans for you. It is all in His hands and 2) Your man won't open-up to you, he won't share his intimate thoughts and fears. That is sacred in marriage and something that makes you all "bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh".

I can say that our family does not use this tactic much--and I know, that it drove you all crazy when the "boys" said stuff like this! But, we used it on the West Coast family all the time. It has taken me years to believe that I don't have to manipulate to get basic love, trust, kindness...I endeavor to walk that way each day.

The tough atmosphere of work and the wordly need to succeed sometimes sucks us into using our tongue to manipulate to our advantage. But let's pray each day before we enter the work place that we will speak on those things which are lovely, pure, righteous and that God will reward those who diligently seek Him.

Affirmation: "It is better to receive a blessing from God in secret than the vain honor of men undeserved. Lord, check my heart, my mouth and my mind that I may seek to give you glory and believe that you will never let me go from the shadow of your wings." Love ya, Sis Lis