Dear Friends,
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer. Psalm 19:14 (NLT)
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could filter our words through Psalm 19:14 before we spoke them? Think of all the trouble we could avoid.
“We all make many mistakes,” the apostle James wrote. “For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.” James 3:2
But James made it clear, controlling the tongue is easier said that done. People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. James 3:7-9
We are uncomfortable with sweeping generalities, so it stops us in our tracks when we read, “No one can tame the tongue.” No one? Surely there is someone! With this thought in mind, we are launching a search for that unique individual who has learned to tame the tongue.
How can we recognize that “special” someone who has tamed their tongue? To start, we can narrow our list of candidates by looking for things that suggest a tongue out of control. Turning again to the book of James, we see that boasting, lying, jealousy, and selfishness are on all on the “No-No list”.
Judging others is also contraindicative of a tamed tongue: Don’t speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters. If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging God’s law. But your job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you. James 4:11
Something we all appreciate is self-confidence, but James warns us: Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” James 4:13,15
Since we are looking for the person who has learned to control their tongue, we mustn’t overlook grumbling. Don’t grumble about each other, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. James 5:9
The apostle James final addition to our list concerns oaths: But most of all, my brothers and sisters, never take an oath, by heaven or earth or anything else. Just say a simple yes or no, so that you will not sin and be condemned.
In Ephesians 4:29, we find something from the apostle Paul we should consider: Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.
Paul also offered a list of things that would suggest untamed tongues:
I am afraid that I will find quarreling, jealousy, anger, selfishness, slander, gossip, arrogance, and disorderly behavior. 2 Corinthians 12:20
You, like we, may see areas where the tongue could use taming. So where to begin? Philippians 4:8b is a good starting point. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
Another truth can help us guard our tongues:
Blessings,
Your Friends in Christ
Because He Loves Us Press 