Taming the Tongue [James 3:7-10]

Jas 3:7 For every creature--animal or bird, reptile or fish--is tamed and has been tamed by man,
Jas 3:8 but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
Jas 3:9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men who are made in God's likeness.
Jas 3:10 Out of the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things should not be this way.

I was reading an article a few days ago by a man who is an atheist. For those of you who are unfamiliar with that term, it is someone who does not believe in God. His article talked about how many Christians are hypocrites. We say one thing and act one way when we are in “church” mode and then the moment that turns off we are just like everyone else. We talk like everyone else; we act like everyone else; what difference is there? Upon reading it I became very disturbed; not because I disagreed, but because I agreed with this man. In my life, I don’t see this occurring to the extent that he was portraying, but I can only speak for myself.

We read in James about being a hypocrite. This portion dealing with our tongue. The most powerful muscle in our body, small in size, but capable of a lifetime of scarring. James tells us that no man can tame the tongue and it is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. Our tongue has the capabilities to do some serious damage. We have the ability to say things that can burn someone to the core. What is interesting is while our tongue has the ability to hurt and the ability to praise, it is not limited to one or the other. Hypocrite?

With the same mouth that we praise God, we can also tear down our brother. With the same mouth that compliments a friend, we can disgrace our enemy. With the same mouth that expresses thanksgiving, we can tell a lie. Out of the same mouth come blessing and cursing. James tells us very clearly this is not acceptable. We are new creations in Christ, created for good works which God prepared ahead of time (Eph. 2:10). So, why do we continue to live as before?

Here’s the challenge. We know the capabilities of our tongues. We know what we can do and what we should do as Christians. Let’s take the first step today and give our tongues to God. Let Him take control of our speech. We read in Ephesians 5:19, that our speech to each other should always be a praise to God. With God’s help, it is possible. If we go it alone, we will continue to be hypocrites.

Make sure you keep each other accountable. For those of you that know me and see me weekly, keep me accountable. God tells us in Proverbs 27:17, we can sharpen each other. We can help strengthen each other. It is possible, we just have to be willing.

Aaron Taylor