Tame your tongue – Part 1

There are two kinds of tongues – tamed and untamed. “Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.” Tamed tongues are transformed, controlled, reserved for speaking good and bringing blessings on lives. But the untamed tongue has negative power. It boasts great things and escalates a little fire. But “Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? Let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.”

The tongue, compared with other parts of the body, is obviously a little member; yet it decides the direction and progress of one’s life. The unsaved tongue connected with a dirty heart, is “a fire, [and] a world of iniquity…” It leads the whole man the wrong way. The uncontrolled, undependable, untamed, untransformed tongue of the unsaved, backslidden, carnal and careless man drives him to hell. “It is set on fire of hell”. No man can tame the tongue. Education, civilisation, position, wealth or religion cannot tame the tongue because “it is an unruly evil.”

Like the friends of Job, many people jump into the ministry without knowing what they are talking about. The Lord summed all their counselling to Job as “folly”. We need to watch over our tongue and ensure what we say is according to the word of God so that we are not brought into untimely judgment. We must think of the consequences of what we intend to say and not be in a hurry to give out information. We should ensure that what we say is the absolute truth.

If you have the gift of communication, use it aright. Do not lead other people astray or persuade them to do wrong. Use the gift of the tongue to make sure people go in the right direction.

“Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.” Apostle James, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, calls us to self-examination and to abhor every form of deceitfulness and duplicity. Some persons gather people with their tongue but scatter them with the same; they build but destroy, heal and hurt. They are undependable and their tongue is lawless; they lack control and principle. Thus, they teach to be strong but tempt to weaken; support and sabotage; lift up, but also pull down; refresh, but later reproach; endorse, but afterwards endanger.

Further Reading (King James Version): James 3:1,5,10,13,17,18. James 3:1-8;Job 42:7; 5:27; 42:8; 2 Samuel 1:5-16; 4:10; Daniel 6:6-9,24; Matthew 27:19-22,25; Jeremiah 50:6. James 3:9-12,14-16; Psalms 62:4; 50:16,17,19,20; 55:21; Proverbs 26:25-28; Numbers 22:18,38; 23:10,26; 24:12,13,16,17; 31:8,16; Revelation 2:14;2 Peter 2:15-19; Psalm 12:1,2. James 3:13,17,18.