Hold your tongue!

I had a soccer game two days ago.  In said soccer game, we were tied 0-0 until the last five minutes.  Soccer being what it is, some rough playing was happening.  The ref wasn't trying to give us talking to's or anything, no one was getting hurt that badly, he was just calling it out when he could.  

How-eeevvverrrrrrrrrr........
the parents didn't agree
the players didn't agree
the coaches didn't agree
our team didn't agree with their disagreement
our team didn't agree with the ref
our team didn't agree with the other team
and so everyone badmouthed.

I find it so frustrating.  Please excuse any bitterness in this post and try to listen to my message - why can't we just hold our tongues?  We hurt people with what we say and think nothing of it.  We are quick to judge without knowing the person, and even quicker to express our judgement, whether it is a positive or negative one. 

In James it says "the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness.  The tongue is set among our members, staining our whole bodies, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell...no human being can tame the tongue.  It is a restless evil full of deadly poison.  With it we bless our Lord and Father and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God." (James 3:6, 8-9 ESV)

This is so true.  SO true.  But that does not make it acceptable.  It is not an excuse.  We still need to strive to say nothing that is not pure, helpful, uplifting.  That's my challenge: hold your tongue.