Before we speak. Is it True? Is it Good? Is it Wise?

Once upon a time, in a remote village, there was reputed to be a person whom held knowledge in high esteem. All the townspeople, even some strangers that traveled from far away, came to consult with this person regarding personal questions or perhaps philosophy shared. One day an acquaintance met with them and said, “Do you know what I just heard about your friend?” “Hold on a minute,” the wise person said. “Before you talk to me about my friend, it might be a good idea to take a moment and filter what you’re going to say. That’s why I call it the “Triple Filter Test”. The first filter IS Truth. Have you made absolutely sure what you are about to tell me IS True?” “Well, no,” the other person said, “actually I just heard about it and…” “All right,” said the wise person. “So you don’t really know if it’s true or not. Now, let’s try the second filter, the filter of Goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about my friend something good?” “Umm, no, on the contrary…” “So,” the wise man continued, “you want to tell me something bad about my friend, but you’re not certain it’s true. You may still pass the test though, because there’s one filter left – the filter of Usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about my friend going to be useful to me?” “No, not really.” “Well,” concluded the wise man, “if what you want to tell me IS neither true, nor good, nor even useful, why tell it to me at all?”

God’s Word shares with you that… the tongue IS a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is SO set among the members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature. That no man can tame the tongue. It IS an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it you bless your Heavenly Father, and with it curse others, who have been made in the likeness of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. That these things ought not be so. No spring yields both salt water and fresh…. God’s Word also shares…For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness IS sown in peace by those who make peace.