Taming the Tongue

“The tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity.  The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell.  For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind.  But no man can tame the tongue.  It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.  With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude (or likeness) of God.  Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing.” James 3:6-10.

Our tongue is a force to be reckoned with. The power of speech is one of the greatest powers God has given us. With the tongue, man can praise God, pray, preach the Word, and lead the lost to Christ. But with that same tongue, he can tell lies that could ruin a person’s reputation or break a person’s heart.

James compares the tongue to a fire. A fire can begin with just a small spark, but can spread and grow large enough to destroy a city. The Great Chicago Fire in 1871 left over 100,000 people homeless, 17,500 buildings were destroyed, and 300 people died. It cost the city over $400,000,000.

James also says the tongue is full of poison.  Ever since I was a kid, I’ve always had a fascination with snakes, especially poisonous ones. There is a snake called the “two-step”—If it bites you, you are only able to take a couple of steps before you die! Some tongues also spread poison. The deceptive thing about poison is that it works secretly and slowly, and then kills. How many times has some malicious person injected a bit of poison into the conversation, hoping it would spread and finally get to the person he or she wanted to hurt? Countless pastors have seen poisonous tongues do great damage to entire churches. Would you turn hungry lions or angry, poisonous snakes loose in our church during a Sunday morning service? Of course not! But unruly tongues accomplish the same results.

Folks, the tongue is a little member, but it has great power. We need to “THINK” before we speak: T—Is it true?; H—Is it helpful?; I—Is it inspiring?; N—Is it nice?; K—Is it kind? Give God your tongue and your heart each day and ask Him to use you to be a blessing to others. Amen.