Perspectives

Sometimes what I say can be funny. But sometimes it is not that funny.  Sometimes I say things I don’t mean to say. However, there are times I say things that I mean to say, but I shouldn’t because it will be misunderstood by others, and it may just hurt some people. There are times when I should zip-up, and do the quiet thing and say nothing. I must always remember that the tongue is in my mouth and it is up to me to have some measure of control over it. God, after all, put that tongue of mine in my mouth behind my teeth so I can close my mouth before I say things that just don’t add anything positive to the conversation.

The Bible has a lot to say about what we say and how we say it. It makes it very clear that as Christian folks we need to have controlled speech, not this negative stuff. Our speech shouldn’t be wicked, slanderous, lying, filthy, bitter, angry, cursing, contentious, boastful…I could go on and on, but I won’t. We’re all mature enough to know where we’re going with this and how we should or shouldn’t speak. We get the point that the tongue, though it is small, can cause a great deal of trouble for us.

James chapter 3:2-6…2) We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check. 3) When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4) Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5) Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6) The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

Wow! There’s a whole lot of stuff in those verses. I wasn’t aware that my tongue can do all that. I know I sometimes say things, before I think, that would have been better left unsaid, and then I feel awful later. I guess I should never underestimate the power of speech. When you really look at it, that small thing (the tongue) has the power to control our lives. Strange, that such a small part of our body should have that much power. That means if we don’t have control over our tongue and what it says we will eventually self-destruct. Scary! No?

James 3:4 compares our tongue to that of a ship’s rudder. I used to be in the Canadian Navy and I have steered some pretty big ships. I was always amazed at how that little rudder could move the ship in any direction that I wanted it to go. Let’s, for a moment, think of it this way: A rudder is small, but when I turned the wheel, it would exert enough pressure on the ship and turn the ship to where I was told it should go. Likewise, when the Holy Spirit exerts that gentle pressure in our heart, if we allow it to, it can control what our tongue will say. Make sense?

The Bible is not for a moment suggesting that we never say anything. It doesn’t want us to be speechless. What it is saying is that we need to have control when we speak. It’s not always smart to say whatever pops into our mind. What we say tells the listener what kind of person we are.  When we have a right relationship with God, we’ll say things that encourage, build up, and heal. And when we do, you and I will feel a whole lot better about ourselves and we will make a real difference in the lives of others. Proverbs 21:23 says, He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity.

Would you pray this prayer with me…“Lord Jesus, come into my heart. Forgive my sins. I want my life to change. My thoughts and my attitude need to change. I don’t have peace in my heart. I really want that peace, joy and happiness that I long for. Please let the Holy Spirit help me be the kind of Christian that will bring honour to Your Name.” Amen