A hard lesson to learn

   Socrates of Constantinople was a church historian who once told about a man named Pambo. Pambo one day came to Socrates at his home with a request. He said "Teach me a Psalm or some part of Scripture"

    Hearing this request Socrates began to read from Psalms 39 where it reads "I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue" 

    After Socrates finished the first verse Pambo asked Socrates to close the bible. Pambo told Socrates "I want to learn what that verse means and master it before I hear anymore". With that Pambo  left Socrates home and said "I will be back when I have mastered that verse". 

    Weeks went by and Pambo never showed back at Socrates house. Until one day Socrates, happened to accidentally ran into him at the market. He asked Pambo "Why have you not come back Pambo?" 

    Pambo replied and said "I am still trying to learn that first lesson you taught me about my tonuge." Many years later someone else asked Pambo about this first lesson and his answer was the same "I have yet to learn this lesson about my tongue " he said. 

    Pambo was right, learning to control our tonuge can be a very difficult thing to do. It is something that I know we all can struggle with from time to time. 

     Our tonuge can be one of the greatest tools we have to bless people with and encourage them. A simple thank you can cause someone to feel appreciated.  Telling someone how much you appreciate all the things that they are going can cause someone to feel valued and wanted. Letting someone know that you care for them can help someone who feels alone and abandoned. Your words can have the ability to bring joy, peace, strength and encouragements in the lives of so many around you. 

    While all that is true and so much more. Equally true is the fact that our words can also break people down. A harsh rebuke can cause someone to feel hurt and uncared for. A few words can cause lead to discouragement. With a few words that you might say out of anger or jealousy, can destroy someone. 

    The things we say good or bad have the ability to make a life long impact on someone's life. There are many people today that are still hearing the hateful things that they had heard about them as a child. Equally true is that there are many people who hare doing great things all because someone cared enough to encourage them and build them up when they were a child. 

    It reminds me of a sad story I heard about a woman who had been trying to lose weight and she was working out. She was making good progress and she was watching what she ate. But she had a lot more to go. 

    Well one day as she finished her morning exercise a couple of kids were standing outside the gym. As she walked past them, she could see their glare and their giggles. Then she over heard one of the kids say "She look's like Schreck". She knew those kids were talking about her and it cut her to the core to hear it. She hurried to her car before the tears started to stream down her face. She quickly jumped in her car seat and shut the door only to ball her eyes out.

    Several day's went by and she continued to go to the gym but she was feeling very discouraged. Any time she looked at her self in the mirror she would hear those boys laughing and the looks that they gave her that day. No matter how wonderful she may have felt about the progress she was making was quickly dashed as she recalled those juvenile remarks.

    Well one day when she was finishing up her work out and heading out to her car she heard someone say "Hey?" She braced her self for what might come next. She was sure that someone was going to say something about her looks or her weight. 

    Reluctantly she looked back to see who was speaking and it was someone who was working out at the gym as well. He ran up to her and told said "Hey, I've noticed that you are in here everyday working hard and I just wanted to tell you to keep up the good work." 

    When she got back to her car and closed the car door, tears started streaming down her face. However these tears were not tears of sadness or hurt, but one of joy. Those were the words she needed to hear to keep herself going back to the gym, and to keep working hard. 

    We need to realize the power our tonuge has. It can be used to destroy and tear down others or it can be used to build up and encourage them. 

    So lets take some time out of our day or sometime this week and try to watch our tonuge. Lets try to use our tongue to encourage others, to build them up. Lets use our tongue to love others and to share the gospel. 

    Let us strive to avoid criticism and judgmental attitudes toward others. Lets strive to avoid mean and malicious gossip and not give it a place at our table.