Shut it

“So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.” - James 3:5-12

Ah yes, the tongue. We all know of its’ power to bless and to destroy. We know of its’ ability to curse, to love, to hate. We understand that the tongue is a “world of unrighteousness.” Don’t we? I mean, just the other day, I restrained from yelling at my wife because she called me at a bad time; and instead of telling my boss he is a jerk to his face, I just whispered it to myself so that his feelings wouldn’t get hurt. 

Get it?

The taming of the tongue isn’t actually at all about the tongue, but about the heart, the tongue is merely the exit point for all the hatred and love built up in the heart. That is why the tongue “boasts of great things;” because it is the medium by which our greatest passions are expressed. 

This member of our body can “set ablaze a great fire.” A fire of love, or a fire of hate, a fire of gossip, or a fire of honesty, a fire of destruction, or a fire of instruction. Human beings cannot tame the tongue, but God can and with the aid of the Holy Spirit, it is a realistic endeavor. 

But how do we tame the tongue? How do we actually control our mouth? Here are some ideas. 

1. Think before you speak. “Duh,” you say, “that’s an easy one.” But how often do you actually think about how what your about to say is going to effect the person your saying it to? Shut up and think.  

2. Don’t speak while your angry. Though this can sometimes end up leading to more anger on the opposing side, sometimes the wisest thing to do during a heated fight is to shut your mouth and try to process everything so that you aren’t simply reacting.

3. Practice saying nice things. While this seems like an easy one, it can actually be surprisingly difficult to say nice things to people. However, if you work on constantly encouraging others, you will find that your attitude is better and therefore your tongue is less evil.

Why is it so important to tame the tongue? Because with it “we bless God,” but we also “curse man” who is made in the image of God. Do you realize that James is telling us that it is just as bad to curse man as it is to curse God? Why? Because man is created in the image of God, by the very breath of God. If a man builds me a house and I look at it and call it a piece of crap, I have not insulted the house, but the house-builder. When we gossip, hate, insult, degrade, or hurt any human being with our words, we have just cursed the maker of the universe. How does that make you feel? 

Learn to tame your tongue. Day by day, learn more and more about how to overcome this sinful burden, and eventually you will turn this tool into a vessel for blessing rather than cursing.