Taming the Tongue

"My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment...Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles. And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on the fire the course of nature, and it is set on fire by hell...But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessings and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so." (James 3:1, 5-6, 8-10, NKJV) [Read James 3:1-12]

James gets right to the point in this passage on taming the tongue. He first gives a word of advice to those who are teachers in the church: "let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment." The first person, "we" places himself in this category as teacher, and that he was. Because of the grave responsibility teachers have in the church of "rightly dividing the word of truth," James wanted them to consider and accept the responsibility as unto God. We stumble, because we are not perfect. Therefore, those who teach should take all the more heed to live a life above reproach. In this passage, James uses many poetic similes to emphasize the importance of the tongue. "though a little member" of the body, and its potential influence for evil. The tongue should have "bits" (controls) on it like a horse's bridle; it should have a rudder, like a ship, to guide it. Like a small spark sets afire a whole forest, so the tongue can defile the whole body, and do much harm. Beasts, birds and reptiles can be tamed, domesticated, but the tongue defies taming. "Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing" (v. 10). We do not see a spring producing good and bad water at the same time, nor does a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine figs, nor a spring salt and fresh water. The potential for controlling the tongue is there, but the person must exercise the taming process.

What are some of the "sins of the tongue" against which Christians should guard? There is that ever-present temptation to gossip, to pass "juicy" tidbits of information in conversation that can potentially harm the character of others and certainly cast dispersion on the teller-of-tales and label him/her as a "gossip". The temptations of lying, cursing, angry outbursts and bearing false testimony are some of the sins of the untamed tongue. To tame the tongue means thinking before on speaks and taking measures to control speech. Words, once spoke, can never be recalled. We cannot extinguish the first of doubt, anger, jealousy and hatred our tongue starts. Pray for discretion in speech and expression. Pray that God will control and guide our tongue. With it we praise Him. With it we speak truth.

Ethelene Dyer Jones; Tuesday, October 19, 2010