Words of Fire (part 3 of a three-part series)
“No man can tame the tongue. . .” James 3:8a
James gives us no hope in this passage. Without a clear understanding of what God does and how He does it, we would be sunk. But God is able to control the tongue. In Acts 2:1-11 we see that at work. It is abundantly clear that in the same manner as demonstrated there, we must understand that God controlling the tongue of 21st century believers is a vital and necessary part of our operation as His mature and wise people.
James points out the hypocritical inconsistency which is so often a part of our language. We find ourselves sitting in Church services, or in our personal Bible study and worship time, praising and blessing God. But when the service is over, or the phone rings, it is easy to get involved in “cursing” (an execration uttered out of malevolence) others, who like us, are made in the image of the God we worship.
Just as foul language (profanity) contradicts our profession of faith, allowing our tongues to dart from blessing to cursing creates an environment where destruction is prevalent. People are not only hurt by our words, they are misled through a failed attempt to witness a life changed by the empowering Spirit and instead hear conversations that are viciously Hell-bent.
Solomon, the wisest of men, spoke to this issue: “An ungodly man digs up evil, and it is on his lips like a burning fire. A perverse man sows strife, and a whisperer (gossip) separates friends.” (Proverbs 16:27)
You can test your heart by listening to your speech. You can test your speech by watching its impact on others. My mom used to say, “If you can’t say something good, don’t say anything at all.” She was right, you know! That does not mean that we do not always speak the Truth in llove. Sometimes the Truth hurts. But it is a hurt that leads to healing and wholeness. Words mean things! Words can damage or they can be constructive components in nurturing life.
Remember those famous words spoken by someone, somewhere, once upon a time, “Hey! Watch your mouth!”