I Love My Lips

VeggiTales was a popular children’s show, especially among Christians, in the 1990s. By computer-generated animations of vegetables like cucumber, tomatoes, peas, and asparagus, each episode told a Bible or moral story. Most episodes, however, included a meaningless but fun interlude called “Silly Songs with Larry,” where one of the lead characters, Larry (a cucumber), sang songs that were unrelated to the episode and nonsensical. One song confronts his deepest fear:

If my lips left my mouth

Packed a bag and headed south,

That’d be too bad, I’d be so sad . . .

If my lips said, “Adios, I don’t like you, I think you’re gross,”

That’d be too bad, I might get mad . . .

If my lips moved to Duluth

Left a mess and took my tooth,

That’d be too bad, I’d call my dad . . .

Because I love my lips.

Whereas Larry worried about his lips leaving him, many of us worry about what our lips might say wrongly, insensitively, and untimely. James spoke about this – people can tame wild animals like horses and reptiles, but not their tongues; a small rudder can steer ships, but people can’t direct their lives by their tongues; a tongue is worse than a spark that sets ablaze a forest; it alone can produce good and evil from the same source, unlike streams with clean or bitter water and fig trees giving only figs, not grapes! (Chapter 3).

Peter quoted a psalm of David to speak about tongues. David said,

Come, my children, listen to me.

I will teach you how to fear YHWH.

If a person delights in life and loves to see many more good days,

Watch your tongue and your lips from speaking deceitfully.

Turn from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.

Because the eyes of YHWH are upon the righteous,

And his ears are upon those who cry for help.

But the face of YHWH is against evil,

To cut off their memory from the land. (Ps 34:11–18)

David sang this psalm, acknowledging his foolishness. Fearing Saul’s threats, he ran off to Abimelek and pretended to be an insane person, which almost cost his life because Abimelek’s attendants knew who he was. Then, David wised up and cried to God for help, and God delivered him. His wisdom, tongue, and lips failed him, whereas God rescued him.

Peter wanted his congregation to learn that same lesson – not to trust their tongues, lips, and wisdom. None of those would prolong their lives (as they didn’t David’s). Instead, they needed to trust God, turn away from evil, do good, and seek and pursue peace. God was on the side of such people who pursue righteousness; his eyes and ears were watching and waiting to help them.

We often resort to ‘white lies’ to get out of trouble. Someone might invite us for lunch, and we don’t want to go with them, so we say, “I am sorry, I have an appointment,” while we don’t. Deceitful tongues! An attendant at the bank or a coffee shop might be a little slow (or busy talking with a friend), and we say, “Could you please hurry? I have a meeting to go to,” when we don’t. Each lie alienates us from God, just as it did David. God turns his face away from such circumstances; he doesn’t get involved. But when we speak the truth while seeking his help, he comes to our aid and does miracles!