One of our greatest challenges
To speak evil of no man....(Titus 3:2)
This brings to mind the famous monkey trio. One covers his eyes, one his ears, and one his mouth. See no evil, hear no evil, and speak no evil. Perhaps if we were blind and deaf it would be easier to speak no evil. It's doubtful that even that would suffice to keep us from this weakness. We still have the devil (the accuser of the brethren) and our own minds to deal with. John Wesley, in speaking of this sin, said that, contrary to our impression, evil speaking is not the same as slandering or lying. He compared it to backbiting, talebearing, or whispering. Yet we hear so many stories and we perceive so many misdeeds! How can we just keep it all in? Wesley rightly said that very few of us (even those who are God-fearing) could say we are clear in this matter. He further points out that in almost any long conversation this fault will be an ingredient. How true! Jesus said that we'd have to give an account in the Day of Judgment for every idle word that comes out of our mouth. Among the godly, sometimes it appears as a prayer request, sometimes as "righteous indignation" at some evil doing by others, but the command still stands--Speak evil of no man!
What can we do to remedy this situation? Certainly we can't conquer this beast on our own. Read James 3:1-18 (vs.8) But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. James calls the tongue a fire, a world of iniquity, and says it is set on fire of hell! Vs 10--Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. Blessing is speaking well of someone and cursing is speaking evil of someone, not just blessing and cursing in the usual sense. What is wrong with us? Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. (Mt. 12:34) We must learn to distinguish between evil thinking and peaceful thinking. Love thinketh no evil.. Let's pray that love will so permeate our being that we won't allow ourselves to fail in this. We must learn to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and nip in the bud those thoughts and words that grieve Him. When we realize that we are losing our peace and grinding in our spirits (although it be in prayer), we must call out to the Lord for deliverance. Often the problem is that we have not forgiven offenses. At times it is that we are being judgmental or hypocritical (quick to see the faults of others and not our own). It will help us (and others) if we even stop mid-sentence to keep from offending in this way. Let's remember that Jesus refers to our talk as being the fruit of our lives by which we'll be judged. (Matt. 12:33-37)
We should take into consideration the Bible exhortations to repent, to be reconciled, to be at peace with one another, to forgive, to pray for others, to meditate on God's Word and on what is good. It will take a combination of all of these things to see us freed from the snare of evil speaking.