The POWER of the Tongue

"But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison." -James 3:8

As I have looked at the book of James over the past month and continue to do so I am realizing more and more just what James was getting at in his writing this to the Jewish believers, and unbelievers. James is attempting to set up a series of "tests" so that one might self-examine their profession of faith, their walk with God, and discover whether they truly are in Him or not. The tests begins with trials and continue on, one test after another, in an effective manner that exhorts all who read it.

Chapter 3 in particular has been for me the most convicting as I have found myself reading the first half, verses 1-12, over and over again in order to better understand exactly what the Lord, through James is saying. The passage talks of the tongue, the restless evil, the small member of the body that boasts of great things, and what he seems to imply the untameable part of the body. James begins by saying that the person who never stumbles in what he says is the perfect man, therefore it is clear that everyone, apart from Jesus Christ, has and will stumble in their speech. James goes on to give three analogies about the tongue, each which help to illustrate his point. Let's take a look at each of these:

(1) The Bit in the Mouth of a Horse- A bit is a small object, a mouthpiece, that goes in the horse's mouth and allows them to be directed and moved. Again though it is small it has the power to control and influence everything in that person's life.

(2)The Rudder of a Ship- He begins with the idea of a ship being guided by the rudder. A rudder is in essence that which steers the ship. That means that James is saying that the tongue is that which "steers" the person. In other words this small part of our body reveals a lot about the rest of our lives, who we really are, it is revealing what really guides and directs us.

(2) The Fire- Like fire the tongues words can spread destruction rapidly and ruin and defile everything around.

As James continues he convicts even more when you read verses 9-11 which say, "With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way. Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water?" This idea that from our mouths we speak honor and praise to God and then from the same mouth speak sinful things is contradictory, it should not be. Just like a fountain can not produce both fresh and salt whether, a believer should not be speaking anything unglorifying to God.

But I thought James said that only perfect people won't sin with their tongue? Yes, this is true, but this does not negate our pursuit of holiness and the reality that we are commanded to speak only that which honors the Lord and edifies others. This goes not only into the words we use but also the way we speak etc. We must realize the power of the tongue and seek to put a muzzle on it so to speak, to think before we speak, and to prayerfully seek the Lord's sanctification in our lives in this area. My heart's desire is to grow in my understanding of the Lord and the Word and that in doing that my speech will continue to change. I don't want to find myself justifying gossip, slander, careless speech etc. but rather seeking to guard my tongue from the fire it can set ablaze. James is not only setting forth a test of true saving faith but also exhorting all believers to examine their speech, their tongue, and to seek to use it only for good, may that be our prayer.