Why the Tongue Can't Be Tamed (And What to Do about It)
By Emma Danzey
“With our tongue we give thanks to our Father in heaven. And with our tongue we speak bad words against men who are made like God. Giving thanks and speaking bad words come from the same mouth. My Christian brothers, this is not right!” – James 3:9-10
Words have the ability to uplift or tear down, to speak life or death into others and ourselves. Oftentimes, we can forget the power of our words in the every day. I know that I have carelessly tossed around speech before. One moment, I start to say something without living a self-controlled life, and then I regret and am convicted over my choice. Other times, however, talking has led to encouragement and kindness towards others around me. My mouth becomes a tool of ministry for the Holy Spirit to use as a blessing.
When we reflect on Genesis 1, we know that God created by speaking life and creation into existence. His words were power to us. His words actually made the heavens and the earth. Or we think about the impact of the three words Jesus spoke on the cross, “It is finished.” (John 19:30) Those words meant salvation had come. In Revelation 22:12-13 Jesus says, “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” These are powerful words. They are life-altering words.
With our tongue, we give thanks to our Father in heaven.
God has blessed many of us with the gift of speaking. We have voices and talk. We were given our mouths to worship God with them. It is by which we speak, sing, shout, and celebrate our Savior Jesus. Through words, we edify the church body and speak words of comfort over those who mourn. It is by words that we pray to the Lord and connect with Him on a daily basis. Our speech matters. When we are actively living by the Spirit and not by our flesh, then our words will be honoring to God.
And with our tongue, we speak bad words against men who are made like God.
Think about a time when you slandered someone or gossiped? In the moment, our words can cut deep. They are divisive, hurtful, and plain hate-filled. James 3 warns us of the problem with our tongues speaking against others who are made in God’s image. How sad that we take something intended for good and use it for sin? We so quickly can turn to evil in our flesh and fall into the schemes of the devil. Many of these ploys involve our speech.
This is why, just prior to these verses, James 3:8 teaches, “But no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.” We cannot tame our own tongues. We have tried and we fail. We need to have humble attitudes to go to the Spirit of God within us and ask for Him to help us grow in the fruit of Spirit, I would say especially when it comes to the tongue in love, self-control and kindness.
“Giving thanks and speaking bad words come from the same mouth. My Christian brothers, this is not right!”
It is not fair that we are inconsistent talkers. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we had 100% loyalty in our speech? If we never said a curse word, never put someone else down, never had a sassy tone, or never used sarcasm to boost ourselves up?
What if we were always positive, truthful, loving, and kind with our speech? The reality and evidence of our need for a Savior becomes very clear just simply by opening our mouths. We bless, and we curse. Jesus was the only one who never spoke from a sinful mouth. He was fully righteous and holy in His speech. It did not mean that He never spoke hard truths, but He was always honoring to the Father. We thank Him for what He did for us.
Intersecting Faith & Life:
In what ways have you been honoring God with your mouth recently? How have you been sinful in your speech? Take some time to ask the Holy Spirit to give you the strength to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger.
Further Reading:
Psalm 33:6
Luke 6:45
James 1:19
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/RTimages
Emma Danzey’s mission in life stems from Ephesians 3:20-21, to embrace the extraordinary. One of her greatest joys is to journey with the Lord in His Scriptures. She is wife to Drew and mom to Graham. Emma serves alongside her husband in ministry, she focuses most of her time in the home, but loves to provide articles on the Bible, life questions, and Christian lifestyle. Her article on Interracial Marriage was the number 1 on Crosswalk in 2021. Most recently, Emma released Treasures for Tots, (Scripture memory songs) and multiple books and devotionals for young children. During her ministry career, Emma has released Wildflower: Blooming Through Singleness, two worship EP albums, founded and led Polished Conference Ministries, and ran the Refined Magazine. You can view her articles on her blog at emmadanzey.wordpress.com
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