... James 3:1-12 is a section about the tongue. (Nice segue, eh?) And if you take a look, it is a bit disturbing. James says, "We all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body." (James 3:2) Note first, then, that James is not saying, "I've got this. Look at me." He includes himself in "We all stumble in many ways." So the topic: Stumbling in what you say. He goes on to paint word pictures of the smallness of the tongue and the magnitude of its effects. The tongue, he says, is "a world of unrighteousness," "staining the whole body," and is "set on fire by hell." (James 3:6) "No human being can tame the tongue," he says (James 3:8). And the result is irrationality. "With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so." (James 3:9-10)
Jesus said something similar.
"It is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person ... What comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person." (Matt 15:11, 18)James suggested that taming the tongue required taming the entire self. Jesus said that what comes out of our mouths reflects what is in our hearts. Same thing. Therefore, what we say can tell us about who we are inside. So Jesus warned, "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." (Matt 12:34-37)
As it turns out, then, it's not merely a clever title. What you say says a lot about you. From truth claims to casual conversation ("every careless word"), we are accountable for our words because they reflect our hearts. What do your words say about your heart?
4 comments:
Lately, that it's filled with disgust and disappointment with the clear folly of my fellow Americans.
Lately, I've become more and more aware of my tongue and how it affects others. I am grateful for the ongoing kindness and mercy of God, because I wasn't so careful with my tongue in my youth–and I appreciate that God's grace is a reminder that my tongue can also be an encouragement instead of a fools siren.
I've been struggling with "tongue control" for some time because I realize I'm so good at using my tongue badly.
There's a lot of that going around.
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