Perspectives

James 3:2-6… 2) We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check. 3) When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4) Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5) Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6) The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. (NIV)

Sometimes what we say can be funny. But sometimes it is not that funny. Sometimes we say things we do not mean to say. However, there are times I say things that I mean to say, but I should not because it will be misunderstood by others, and it may just hurt some people. There are times when we should zip-up and do the quiet thing and say nothing. I must always remember that the tongue is in my mouth and it is up to me to have some measure of control over it. God, after all, put that tongue of mine in my mouth behind my teeth so I can close my mouth before I say things that just do not add anything positive to the conversation.

The Bible has a lot to say about what we say and how we say it. It makes it very clear that as Christian folks we need to have controlled speech, not this negative stuff. Our speech should not be wicked, slanderous, lying, filthy, bitter, angry, cursing, contentious, boastful… We could go on and on, but we will not. We are all mature enough to know where we are going with this – how we should or should not speak. We get the point that the tongue, though it is small, can cause a great deal of trouble for us.

There is a whole lot of information in those verses. There are times we are not aware that our tongue can do all that. I know that I sometimes say things, before I think, that would have been better left unsaid, and then I feel awful later. I guess we should never underestimate the power of speech.

When you really look at it, that small thing (the tongue) has the power to control our lives. Strange, that such a small part of our body should have that much power. That means if we do not have control over our tongue and what it says we will eventually self-destruct… That is a scary thought!

James 3:4 compares our tongue to that of a ship’s rudder. I used to be in the Canadian Navy many years ago and I have steered some rather large ships. I was always amazed at how that little rudder could move the ship in any direction that I wanted it to go. Let us, for a moment, think of it this way: A rudder is small, but when you turned the wheel, it will exert enough pressure on the ship and turn the ship to where I was told it should go. Likewise, when the Holy Spirit exerts that gentle pressure in our heart if we allow it to, it can control what our tongue will say. Does that make sense?

The Bible is not for a moment suggesting that we never say anything. It does not want us to be speechless. What it is saying is that we need to have control when we speak. It is not always smart to say whatever pops into our mind. What we say tells the listener what kind of person we are.

When we have a right relationship with God, we will say things that encourage, build up, and heal. And when we do, you and I will feel a whole lot better about ourselves and we will make a real difference in the lives of others. Proverbs 21:23 says, He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity… To God Be the Glory Great things He has done!

Would you pray this prayer with me?… “Lord Jesus, come into my heart. Forgive my sins. I want my life to change. My thoughts and my attitude need to change. I do not have peace in my heart, I really want that peace, joy, and happiness that I long for. Please let the Holy Spirit help me be the kind of Christian that will bring honour to Your Name.” Amen