The tongue.

Have you been following the Desiring God conference that's been going on with John Piper, Sinclair Ferguson, Mark Driscoll, Daniel Taylor, etc.? The videos are online here, and I think they will absolutely bless you if you take the time to watch a few. The first talk by Sinclair Ferguson about the tongue is potentially life changing.

Anyway, these videos were a blessing to me tonight, as the past month or so, I have been thinking about the role of my tongue (my speech, my conversation) during these very politically-charged months. My personal opinion about political issues varies - on some issues I more agree with the conservative agenda, and on some issues I more agree with the liberal agenda. Therefore, I am really wrestling with the "weight" of each issue in the upcoming election, and I have been grappling with the Christian response to 1) to the issues and 2) to people during these election months.

Many people I love dearly are very emotionally and intellectually tied to different sides on this thing. Many people whose values and position I greatly respect and admire are planning to vote for Obama and for McCain for very valid reasons that I can understand and agree with somewhat but not totally.

And with these people I desire to engage intellectually and lovingly while also not taking issues lightly that I think should not be taken lightly. So, I often struggle with the question of whether to dodge conversation about the issues at hand, issues so deeply emotional to some people that they are connected to their view of the world and and of God and of human nature. Or, whether to work to engage and to move more in the direction of being staunchly pro-someone with the possibility of alienating people and seeming flippant about issues that I actually care deeply about.

Have any of you had this problem as well? If so, my point in mentioning all of this is that the desiring god videos were a blessing tonight, as Dr. Piper talked about in one of the panel discussions the topic of the tongue in controversial situations - should we engage in controversial topics and situations or run away from them? And he gives five guidelines that I was able to personally apply to my own life and to this particular situation:

1) First, pray for guidance on when to speak up and when to shut up.
2) Think about the seriousness of the issue - will it hurt people or dishonor God?
3) Don't become controversial about things you don't know enough about! Think, am I suited for this particular debate, or should I let it go?
4) Is this issue BURNING in me. Do I deeply care about this issue?
5) Is it closely affecting someone in my life?

Granted, Piper was talking about issues in the church, but this message very much helps me think about praying for wisdom and discerning my behavior when discussing hot topics. It very much helps me think about the possible helpful or devastating role of the tongue in conversation about issues that are very important to people.

So anyway, I am praying for wisdom in this area, and I am very thankful (once again) for the wisdom of these great men. If you have a chance, go watch these videos. Even if it has nothing to do with politics for you, I promise it will be a blessing and will really help you think about the way you use your tongue!