Christian Living

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There are two points of energy within the tongue.
It matters not if you're old or you're young.
You can speak death or you can speak life:
The fire of God or the fire of strife.

Fresh water, salt water, choose you this day
If there is truth and life in what you say.
Does each word justify, does it condemn?
Is it a millstone or is it a gem?

When in the desert Christ Jesus was fasting,
(Forty days long all this fasting was lasting),
He was first tempted to turn stones to bread.
He turned that temptation upon satan's head.

So the devil changed tactics, said "I'll give you power.
I'll save you right now from your most desperate hour.
You needn't deny yourself there at the cross.
Why should you, God's own Son, suffer such loss?"

The devil said "Worship me. And I will give
To you all of these people. Yes, I'll let them live.
You'll enjoy fortune and you'll enjoy fame.
Yes, they'll love you if you'll worship my name."

"What does that mean? Simply glorify me
For all that I've done and the misery you see.
Don't speak of victory won through your death.
The people aren't worth it, you'll just waste your breath."

"Just give me credit for all that I've done.
The battle's too hard. Just admit that I've won.
Talk about all of the problems I've caused.
All of the suffering, all that's been lost."

"Make them feel sorry for you, just a bit.
Sympathize with their grumbling, as I see fit.
Glorify problems and glorify pain.
For that's what it means to lift up my name."

To thus misuse his tongue Jesus surely was tempted.
But the Father's provision it would have preempted.
Yet how many of us today fall for this trick?
It's packaged up pretty, but boy is it slick!

We fret and we worry 'bout each little task,
Forgetting that help is there if we'll but ask.
We mumble and grumble because we are bored.
(That needn't be so if we're serving the Lord).

Others of us, swallowed by circumspection,
Forget the great hope of our Lord's resurrection.
While we might remember to lift up the cross,
We focus on suffering and count it as loss.

Where is the joy that He purchased for us
When he rose from the dead? Oh, why do we still fuss?
He spoke to that mountain of death, and it moved.
To remember this victory it would us behoove.

So let's not proclaim sadness or pity or shame,
But think about Jesus and lift up his name.
Talk of His victory, and ALL that He's done,
ALL that He is, and ALL that He's won.

For the tongue has the power of life and of death,
The power to give or to take away breath.
So rather than grumble or mourn or complain,
Let's use our tongues to lift up Jesus' name!

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