What a wild little member the tongue can be!
I am always newly amazed at what people say to one another.
My godly father was a wonderful example for me, and the older I get, the more precious that example becomes. I never heard him utter a harsh word. On many an occasion I watched him remain silent or offer a gentle response when most would have tried to even the score.
Soldier of The Cross, we must have speech that reflects who He is and what He has done in our hearts.
The mouth of the Believer should be clean. There is no excuse for cursing or filthy language in the life of a Christian. It opens the door for the enemy, and it also pours oil on the fires of anger. It compromises communication and fills the atmosphere with darkness. If there is any such issue it must be dealt with in prayer.
The mouth of the Believer should be available to declare Truth. To encourage one another in the Lord. To sing and to praise. The Holy Spirit is grieved and quenched when there is a misuse of the tongue and the ground must be recovered.
This is not a small thing. Where there is argument instead of discussion, it ought to stop. Slinging back a barbed comment in response to one received, is simply returning evil for evil.
The Soldier of The Cross must have a mouth that is yielded to the Lord.
It isn't about being perfect.
It is about being changed.