Fighting the Flesh #11: The Terrible Tongue

“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.”
—James 3:6-8

Our tongues are like a surgeon’s scalpel. We can either cut a person to harm them or help them. James understood the power of the tongue. He related it to a “fire” that possesses a “world of unrighteousness.” The tongue has the power to destroy lives far greater than that of any nuclear bomb. Anyone can use their tongue as a weapon of mass destruction. If we aren’t careful to reign our tongue in, then we are inviting pain, suffering, and alienation to ourselves and anyone who comes across our path.

James knew this, which is why he said that the tongue can stain the whole body—which is to say that the tongue can tear apart our lives and single-handedly destroy everything we have worked for. The tongue is a “fire” that’s full of “deadly poison.” If our little tongues can cause so many problems, then we must learn how to reign them in.

Words are powerful, especially the spoken word. Everyone knows how much a kind word can awaken and encourage a troubled soul—like a hot drink on a cold day. But the same can be said of a hurtful or derogatory word. It can wound deeply. All of us can easily recall a time when someone’s words wounded us deeply. But, we can also recall positive words said during a time of great difficulty that enabled us to journey on and take greater steps of faith.

God wants us to be aware of what we say and how we say it. As Paul wrote to the church at Thessalonica, “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing”—1 Thessalonians 5:11.

We must learn how to build up and bless one another in the name of the Lord. And this can only be done by learning how to direct the tongue—just as a ship is directed by a rudder and a horse is directed by a bit and bridle, so too must our tongue be directed. We must, by the Spirit of God, set our minds upon the things of God, as we continually read the Word, study it, and meditate upon what it says. This is how we find out what is pleasing and displeasing to Him. And not only that; we have the power of the Spirit to help enable us to do what God's Word says. And when we do, we learn how to wield our tongue so that God’s name might receive glory and the surgeon’s scalpel might bring good health rather than great harm.

How much glory does God receive when we bless and build rather than damage and destroy? How many marriages are nourished by saying kind words of compassion and love? How many friends do we find when we are known as encouragers rather than discouragers? Ask God to bring to your attention any damaging words that come from your mouth. Seek to bless and build up God’s body in order that He might receive glory and we receive joy. Amen.