James 3:3-11
“If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 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! … With it [the tongue] we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the image 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?”
The tongue is a very small part of our body, and yet it is one of the most powerful. In this verse we see that this one member of our body can be used to build others up, or tear them down; bless the God who made us, or curse the men that He created. I’m sure that all of us can think back to a time when we have heard – or said – one single word that set a forest ablaze. One of the reasons that the tongue is such a lethal tool is that it in tales any kind of sin that you could imagine; deceit, hatred, sexual immorality, self pity, pride, etc., any sin that you could think of, can be expressed through the tongue. Another reason for the power of the tongue is that is it the easiest tool to use to sin. How easy is it to slip out a few words of hate? How easy is it to speak a lie? Very. No matter what the scenario is, you can always say anything you want. You may not always be able to sin in all the ways you might be tempted to, but you can still sin with your tongue.
The tongue can be viewed as a glance into the spiritual maturity of a person, for it bears witness of the heart. As John MacArthur said, “The tongue is a tattle tale of the heart” You can easily a person’s closeness with God by examining the way that he speaks. Because it is like a spiritual marker and so prone to error, we must tame it. Just as a man must break a horse and put in the bit, we must take control of our tongue and bring it under submission. In the same way that a large ship is steered by a single small rudder, our lives can be controlled just by taking captive our speech.
Therefore we must discipline ourselves in the way we speak, and guard our tongues like murderers trying to escape from their cell. We must guard every word that proceeds from our lips, and we must bring them all under subjection to God. If our words do not build up, they are breaking down; there is no middle ground. With our tongue we must bless our God. And if we use it to bless God, then how could we use that same tool as an instrument of evil? Can a fresh water lake pour out salt water? So then, let us guard our tongues and be sure not to start with them a forest fire. Instead, let us use them to glorify our God. With every single word we speak, may we speak them only for Him.
“If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 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! … With it [the tongue] we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the image 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?”
The tongue is a very small part of our body, and yet it is one of the most powerful. In this verse we see that this one member of our body can be used to build others up, or tear them down; bless the God who made us, or curse the men that He created. I’m sure that all of us can think back to a time when we have heard – or said – one single word that set a forest ablaze. One of the reasons that the tongue is such a lethal tool is that it in tales any kind of sin that you could imagine; deceit, hatred, sexual immorality, self pity, pride, etc., any sin that you could think of, can be expressed through the tongue. Another reason for the power of the tongue is that is it the easiest tool to use to sin. How easy is it to slip out a few words of hate? How easy is it to speak a lie? Very. No matter what the scenario is, you can always say anything you want. You may not always be able to sin in all the ways you might be tempted to, but you can still sin with your tongue.
The tongue can be viewed as a glance into the spiritual maturity of a person, for it bears witness of the heart. As John MacArthur said, “The tongue is a tattle tale of the heart” You can easily a person’s closeness with God by examining the way that he speaks. Because it is like a spiritual marker and so prone to error, we must tame it. Just as a man must break a horse and put in the bit, we must take control of our tongue and bring it under submission. In the same way that a large ship is steered by a single small rudder, our lives can be controlled just by taking captive our speech.
Therefore we must discipline ourselves in the way we speak, and guard our tongues like murderers trying to escape from their cell. We must guard every word that proceeds from our lips, and we must bring them all under subjection to God. If our words do not build up, they are breaking down; there is no middle ground. With our tongue we must bless our God. And if we use it to bless God, then how could we use that same tool as an instrument of evil? Can a fresh water lake pour out salt water? So then, let us guard our tongues and be sure not to start with them a forest fire. Instead, let us use them to glorify our God. With every single word we speak, may we speak them only for Him.