KidzPort May 10 – Tongue-tied

May 12, 2009

First of all, let me wish a happy Mother’s Day to all you mom’s out there.  We love you, support you and pray for you.   Maybe this week’s lesson will help you out.

James 3 points out that a small bit can control a horse with a little bit of effort.  Also,  a small rudder turns a mighty ship.  So the tongue, which seems so small and insignificant, has major implications for our lives.  Where the tongue goes, so does the rest of us.

Matthew 12: 36 tells us : “But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken.” (NKJ) We talked a lot about this.  WE took the example of food that is not liked.  Now, the palate of a nine-year-old is very different from that of a forty-year-old.  But saying something like “I will never eat spinach.” is the kind of careless thing Jesus is talking about.  Or worse, by telling someone “You’ll always be a jerk!” is actually cursing them to that.

Two of the most dangerous words in the English language are “always” and “never.”   They are called absolutes, and we need to use them carefully.  Both represent a very long time, and both can easily make us liars.

As an experiment, we tried “taming the tongue” for a while.  I challenged the kids to not speak for fifteen minutes.  They found it hard!  Now imagine doing it all the time. 

For Parents:

• Read James 3 with your child.  See what it is telling both of you.
• Talk to your child about his or her tongue?  Does it get them in trouble? How can they “tame” it better?
• Parents: do you “tame” your tongue? Children reflect what they see.  Pray on this with your child.