James 3:2, “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.
Isn’t that interesting? If we can control our tongues – what we say and how we say it – we will, by consequence, be able to control our entire body. A small bit in the mouth of a horse can turn the whole animal to make it obey us. A small rudder on a huge ship that is driven by strong winds, goes wherever the pilot desires.
Alternately, a great forest can be destroyed by one little matchstick. Our untamed words are like that matchstick; they can corrupt our whole body…and ultimately, the whole course of our lives.
Jesus said, “…the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile him. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what defile a person…” (Mt. 15:18-20)
James says that our tongue is a “restless evil”; “full of deadly poison”(James 3:8).
“The poison of the tongue…murders men’s reputations by the slanders it utters; their souls, by the lusts and passions it stirs up in them; and many times, their bodies, too, by the contentions and quarrels it raises against men.” – Matthew Poole
“[The tongue is] full of deadly poison, which, privately, secretly, and gradually, destroys the characters, credit, and reputation of men; and is of fatal consequence in families, neighborhoods, churches, and states.” – John Gill
After James describes how deadly our tongues can be if left untamed, he ends the chapter showing us how it looks when our tongues are controlled (James 3:17):
- Pure
- Peaceable
- Gentle
- Open to reason
- Full of mercy
- Good fruit
- Impartial
- Sincere
Be a peacemaker. Control your tongue.
Holly Sands lives in South Carolina at the foothills of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains with her loving husband, Shane, and idiot cat, Mister Bojangles. She has been blessed to travel both nationally and internationally with her husband, sharing the glorious gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Holly is co-host of the weekly podcast, “That They May All Be One“. New episodes can be heard every Tuesday on your favorite podcast app.