Perspectives

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. (NIV)

My speech reveals my true character. It communicates my true personality more than anything else. If I could control my tongue always; James says, “I would be a perfect man.” He goes on to say, “If I have perfect control over that little member of my body … the rest of my life’s problems would be easy.” If anyone has perfect control with their speech, I think we would have the power to control ourselves. No matter what we face.

Sometimes what I say can be funny. But sometimes it is not that funny at all.  Sometimes I say things I do not mean to say. Sometimes I say things that I mean to say but I should not because it will be misunderstood by other folks, 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 put that tongue of mine in my mouth behind my teeth so I can close my mouth before I say things that are not proper.

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 should not be wicked, slanderous, lying, filthy, bitter, angry, cursing, contentious; boastful … I could go on. I am old enough to know how I should or should not speak. We understand that the tongue, though it is small, can cause a lot of trouble for us. There are times when blessings and curses come from the same mouth that praised God one moment and the next moment we say unkind things about people who are made in the image of God. Blessing and cursing from the same mouth should not happen.

I need to be mindful of the power of spoken words. I know I sometimes say things that would have been better if I had not said them … then I feel awful later. 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. If we do not have control over our tongue and what it says we will eventually self-destruct.

The Bible 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. A rudder is small, but when I turned that wheel it would exert enough pressure on the ship and turn the ship to where I wanted it to go. Likewise, when the Holy Spirit exerts that gentle pressure in my heart, if I allow it to, it can control what my tongue will say.

The Bible is not for a moment suggesting that we never say anything. It does not want us to be speechless. What it is saying is that we need to have control when we speak. What we say tells the listener what kind of person we are.  When we have a right relationship with God, we will 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 teaches that those who protect their mouths and their tongues shield themselves from trouble.

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