KEEP YOUR TONGUE FROM EVIL

Psalm 34 gives us good advice on how to live and treat others, honor the Lord with our lives and use our words in ways that Honor God. Let’s dive in.

Psalm 34: 11-14
Come, you children, listen to me.  I will teach you the fear of the LORD.  Who is the man who desires life And loves length of days that he may see good?  Keep your tongue from evil And your lips from speaking lies. Depart from evil and do good. Seek peace and pursue it. 

One of my favorites, and the kids’ favorite songs we sing at Awana is an old Steve Green’s song off his “Hide 'Em in your heart“ CD. It has some great songs on it about how important it is to hide God’s Word in your heart. Steve Green said, “nothing surpasses the treasure of hiding God’s word in our hearts.”  Here's an exercise for you to try with your kids or grand kids to help kids visualize how important the words are we allow to come out of our mouths and how hard they are to get back if we wound a friend with them.

Give each child a paper plate and a toothpaste tube and say that you have a challenge for them. Tell them that they have 10 seconds to squeeze as much toothpaste out of the tube as they can onto the paper plate. After you call time, explain that the real challenge is that they have 30 seconds to put the toothpaste back in the tube. That’s how hard it is if we speak evil or harshly  to others.  

You might ask a few questions at the end like… How hard was it to get that toothpaste back in what it came it? Why do you think God wants us to watch what we say? Or what are some things you can do instead of using evil or hurtful language?

It is easy to say to a child who uses bad language “that’s bad, don’t say that” and let it go. But you would be missing an opportunity. Explain what the Bible says about bad words. Then encourage kids to find other words to say or other outlets for their emotions. Use a verse like 1 Thessalonians 5:11 as a starting point to show that God wants us to be helpful with our words, not hurtful. Before long you will be hearing uplifting, encouraging words coming from your kids.
God is still calling us to “keep our tongues from evil and speaking lie’s.

So, let’s get started… grab hold of your tongue and repeat after me!
Keep your tongue
From evil
Keep your tongue
Keep your tongue
From evil
Keep your tongue
And your lips from speaking lies
Keep your tongue
From evil
Keep your
Tongue

Psalm 34, verse 13, “Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking lies.” (You can also find a great old song video on Youtube to share with your kids.)  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lNLa6Ybstw


by Jerry Hull, Children's Ministry Pastor

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