James 3:2, 7-12 “Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way. People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? Does a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? No, and you can’t draw fresh water from a salty spring."
We are taught to govern our tongue so as to prove ourselves perfect and upright men, and such as have an entire government over ourselves: If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. It is here implied that he whose conscience is affected by tongue-sins, and who takes care to avoid them, is an upright man, and has an undoubted sign of true grace. But, on the other hand, if a man seemeth to be religious (as was declared in the first chapter) and bridleth not his tongue, whatever profession he makes, that man’s religion is vain. Further, he that offends not in word will not only prove himself a sincere Christian, but a very much advanced and improved Christian. For the wisdom and grace which enable him to rule his tongue will enable him also to rule all his actions.
Taken from Matthew Henry's Commentary
How often have we been hurt by the careless words of others? How often have we hurt someone else with our careless words? Why is that? The answer is clear that there is power in the spoken word. From the very beginning of creation we can see that words held power.
Genesis 1:3,6-7, 9, 14-15, 20-21, 24, Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. Then God said, “Let there be a space between the waters, to separate the waters of the heavens from the waters of the earth.” And that is what happened. Then God said, “Let the waters beneath the sky flow together into one place, so dry ground may appear.” And that is what happened. Then God said, “Let lights appear in the sky to separate the day from the night. Let them be signs to mark the seasons, days, and years. Let these lights in the sky shine down on the earth.” And that is what happened. Then God said, “Let the waters swarm with fish and other life. Let the skies be filled with birds of every kind.” So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that scurries and swarms in the water, and every sort of bird—each producing offspring of the same kind. Then God said, “Let the earth produce every sort of animal, each producing offspring of the same kind—livestock, small animals that scurry along the ground, and wild animals.” And that is what happened.
With the exception of man, all of creation was created by the spoken word. Our words have power too! Proverbs 18:21 “The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences.” With our words we can build others (or ourselves) up or tear them down.
James tells us that with just a little bit a rider can control all the brute force of a horse. James 3:3 “We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth.” He also tells us that with a small rudder the largest of ships can be steered. James 3: 4 “And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong.” However, he also points out that just as a tiny spark can start the entire forest on fire, so our tiny tongues, by careless, hurtful words can cause harm and hurt to others. James 3: 5 “In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire.”
Our primary purpose on this earth it to win the lost to Christ. If our tongues are uncontrolled we will not fulfill this great commission. Matthew 28:18-20 “Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
We often “find it easier” to control our tongues outside our homes than we do inside. I propose that it is not easier to control our tongues outside our homes, but rather, we work harder at it. When I am with people outside my home (my family included), I am very aware of how I speak. I try to be careful of the words I say and the attitude that accompanies them. When I am at home, I must confess, I don’t always work as hard to control my words or attitude. This is not right! James 1:26 “If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless.” James makes no distinction between controlling our tongue in front of the world and with our family.
As I stated earlier, we can build up or tear down with our words. Ephesians 4:29 “Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.” Often when we are angry we lash out at others. Proverbs 15:1 “A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare.” Our gentle, kind words may be what are necessary to bring healing into the situations we face.
Proverbs 12:18 “Some people make cutting remarks, but the words of the wise bring healing.”
As believers we often hear people say something like this, “Well the Good Book says to speak the truth. That’s what I did.”, when in fact their words did huge damage to those toward whom they were focused. Actually, we are admonished to speak the truth; however, that admonishment comes with further instructions. Ephesians 4:15 “Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.” We must couch everything we say in love. Without love, our words will cause more problems than we had to begin with. No disagreement or conflict is ever resolved by angry hurtful words.
As Christmas draws near, we will be faced with numerous opportunities to control our tongues and speak in love to those around us. We will all face stress and chaos as an almost daily occurrence. If you have to go to a store, you will be faced with pushy, oft’ grumpy shoppers. At work, the stress level might increase as the end of the year closes in. Students will face the mid-term crunch. Many will face crisis’s in health, family, finances, etc. All of these stressors can push us to our limits. It is in this time of stress that we must begin in earnest to tame our tongue. If we allow the enemy to rob us of self-control, which he can only do if we give it up by the way, and take no thought for how we speak to others, we will miss the importance of the season.
Jesus Christ left the splendor of heaven to be born in a barn. He left his Kingly throne to sleep in a manger, a common feeding trough. He left the peace and tranquility of heaven to come to a world wrought with violence, selfishness, pride, bitterness, anger, etc. He did all of this because he wanted us to have freedom. Freedom from sin, freedom from self, freedom from the bondage of the enemy, freedom from hurt of any kind. He paid the price for our freedom but it is our job to walk in that freedom and stay free. If we are in control of our tongue, James 3:2 tells us we will be able to control ourselves in every way. However, the opposite of that is also true. If we are unable to control our tongue we will find it near impossible to control other aspects of ourselves. According to James, taming the tongue seems to be a key to gaining freedom in other areas of life as well. (More on that in a future word.)
Let us focus on Christ and seek him for the grace and wisdom to tame our tongues as we celebrate his coming to earth to buy our freedom.
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