Verbal Regurgitation

Have you ever had someone come up to you and verbally rip you up one side and down the other?  Maybe someone had an issue(s) with you and they kept it penned up for a long period of time and one day they just unleash on you.  I've had this happen more times than I care to admit.  I call it verbal regurgitation.  Verbal regurgitation (my term and my definition) is the time when someone comes up to you and verbally pukes all over you by giving you a piece of their mind (not caring how hurtful or bitter they may be coming across) and when they are done they kind of wipe their mouths off and go, "There, now I feel better."  All along you are standing there, shocked at what just happened with puke (verbal, not literal) dripping off your body.

Unfortunately this happens so often and I find it disheartening because Jesus spoke about the words we speak and how they reveal our true selves.  "But whatever comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person.  For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.  This is what defiles a person..."  I find it interesting that the Bible speaks very clearly about how we are to speak to each other, treat one another and build each other up but we have become so good at doing just the opposite.  I sometimes think, "It's no wonder people aren't flocking to Jesus.  We can't even care for others we call brothers and sisters."

James says wild animals, reptiles and sea creatures can all be tamed by humans, but the tongue cannot be tamed by any human being.  We say what we say because we have no control over that little 20 oz. muscle in our mouths.  Can we use this as an excuse though?  Can we justify the hurtful words and cursing of others simply by saying we have no control over our tongues?  Or by saying, “I have to say what I say (regardless of who I am harming in the process) otherwise I wouldn't be true to who I am.”  The fact remains we are responsible for every word that proceeds from our mouths and we need the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives to keep us from verbally regurgitating on our brothers and sisters.