Friday, September 16
Taming the tongue
Scripture: Isaiah 31-32, James 3
James 3:6–8 And the tongue is a fire. The tongue, a world of unrighteousness, is placed among our members. It stains the whole body, sets the course of life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. 7 Every kind of animal, bird, reptile, and fish is tamed and has been tamed by humankind, 8 but no one can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
James 3:12 Can a fig tree produce olives, my brothers and sisters, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a saltwater spring yield fresh water.
Observation
Wow! James has a negative view of the tongue (our speech, what we say). He says it is a fire burning things down, a world of unrighteousness; it stains everything, sets life on fire and is set on fire by hell! No one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. Makes you want to stop talking!
But the tongue doesn’t act alone. Jesus said, “The mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” (Matthew 12:34) Our words flow from our hearts—what we think and feel and believe.
So James concludes in verse 12 that a fig tree can’t produce olives or grapevine produce figs. Jesus also said, “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit.” (Matthew 12:33) James no doubt got his connection between tree and fruit, and the heart and tongue from Jesus.
Application
Obviously, we need to be careful what we say.
Ephesians 4:29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
But it’s not just our speech that needs to change; it’s our hearts. If our hearts are good—what we’re thinking, what we’re feeling, what we believe—then our words will be good. But if evil festers in our hearts, it’s bound to come out of our mouths.
Yes, tame the tongue…but even more, change the heart.
Prayer: Lord, only You can change my heart, so I come to You and ask that You make me new inside and out!