Control That Tongue!

In the 3rd chapter of the book of James, he describes the amazing power of our words—our tongues. This chapter of James is loaded with symbols and metaphorical language. He takes advantage of symbolic language to convey the importance of self-discipline in what we say. Like bits in the mouths of horses to control their direction (James 3:3), or rudders which control ships, or sparks which start a forest-leveling fire, our tiny tongues—through the words we say with them—can do huge things, many of them greatly destructive. Has anyone ever flown off the handle at you and said things in the heat of the moment that hurt you so deeply you have never forgotten how it made you feel? Twenty to thirty years may have passed but you can still recall what and how it was said. What about as a child? Were you ever called "stupid," fatso," "chicken," or "weirdo?" How did it make you feel? You didn’t want to let them know how deeply it hurt. I would bet some of my readers still carry emotional scars from the names you were called as children, or you mentally replay tapes of derogatory comments that were made about you in your youth. 

Instead of instructing us to “be careful of what you say,” in just a few short verses, James compares the tongue to eight different things: a bit in a horse’s mouth, a helm of a ship, a fire, a world of iniquity, an evil, a fountain, a fig tree, and a vine. The result is a host of doctrines, principles, and practices that can touch our hearts because of the symbolic language used. The tongue "sets on fire the course of nature."  What? Don't you find that intriguing? We all have tongues (language, voice) so to think the tongue is a world of iniquity that can actually defile the entire body, don't you want to know more? James describes the tongue itself as a fire, meaning it can burn whatever we touch with our words. This is a good perspective to keep in mind before we use our words on or against another person. The meaning is, that a great collection of iniquity proceeds from the tongue. Indeed “there is no iniquity which an unbridled tongue is not capable of producing; either by itself, when it curses, rails, teaches false doctrine, and speaks evil of God and man; or by means of others, whom it entices, commands, terrifies, and persuades, to commit murders, adulteries, and every evil work.” James is admonishing Jewish Christians and warns that "it (the tongue) defiles the whole body — The whole man, all our members, senses, and faculties."

James also describes the tongue as "a world of unrighteousness." In our natural, sinful state, our words don't just occasionally go bad. They come from a place that is completely bad in every way. The tongue isn't merely the one bad apple in the barrel. It is the member which corrupts all of the other parts of our bodies! Our tongue has power for both good and evil. An uncontrolled tongue is responsible for setting the course of our lives on fire, for burning down everything along the way. But our tongues don't burn with their own fire. That fire of reckless destruction didn't originate with us. Our tongues, James writes, are themselves set on fire by hell. The word "hell" here if you look it up in the original Greek is derived from the name of the Valley of Hinnom. Many of you might know what this is but for those that don't, the Valley of Hinnom was a well-known known place just outside of Jerusalem. Hinnom Valley had been used in the past for human sacrifice. At the time of Jesus' earthly ministry, it was a perpetually-blazing trash heap. Because it was associated with garbage, rejection, evil, destruction, and fire. The Valley of Hinnom was often held up as a picture of God's eternal judgment on sin: hell.

So what does all of this mean? Our tongues—the words we say with them in our lack of self-control—are powerfully evil and destructive. It's not a small problem. It's rooted in the fundamental spiritual problems all people have which sets on fire the course of nature (or the natural man): pride, envy, anger, jealousy, revenge, and lack of self-control. James makes it clear that the way we use our tongues reveals our true nature. As fallen people, our nature is now sinful and destructive. We must be changed. James is clear. If we’re going to behave as Christians ought to behave, then we have to learn to control our speech. We need to use our tongues for the positive things it can do: encourage, build-up, instruct, teach, guide, comfort, praise, etc. “A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart.  For out of the abundance of his heart his mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45). In other words, the expression of what you are down inside is what’s overflowing across your tongue. You can measure and judge yourself by what flows from your tongue. Basically, the mouth is the billboard of the heart. 

One of the best things you can do with the tongue is to speak words of encouragement to other people.  And everybody needs encouragement.  It doesn’t have to be elaborate or fancy, just a simple word of thanks or a boost. No wonder Solomon wrote in Proverbs 25:11, “A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.” To control our tongues, I think we need to ask for the help of God’s Holy Spirit.  James says, "no man can tame the tongue.” You can’t do it on your own.  You need to pray regularly, “Lord, help me today. Fill me with your Holy Spirit that I may control my speech with your help.”  David also prayed, “Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips." You have more control than you realize! If it were not so, how do people control their language when they’re around people where it becomes important for them to do it? It can be done with your own restaints combined with the Holy Spirit's power within you. Let your conversation be full of grace.  Let it be seasoned with salt so that when anyone hears you talk it makes them thirsty for the things of God. God will bless you and you’ll know how to answer them. And when you’re full of that which is positive, your tongue will have the power of life. I guess it shouldn’t surprise us that when we give our lives to Christ it includes the use of our tongue. 

Until He comes,

-Pat-