All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
James is taking us by the hand and showing us something that he considers very important. There is no room for hypocrisy when we stand before God. James does not tell us this to shame us or discourage us in our faith. Rather, he wants us to enter heaven victorious in Christ.
What is the weak link in our faith walk? Our faith is what we call the trust we put in God and His Word. Our faith walk is how we put that trust into action. Suppose we do something nice for somebody. For example, someone you know is sick, and you take a meal over to them. While you are there delivering the meal you hear your mouth saying something stupid. A thoughtless comment, a derogatory reference. You didn’t mean anything by it, but the words carry the potential to hurt the person you are trying to help.
All the time and effort you put into the meal and getting it to the person in need is now tainted by uncertainty. Possibly even guilt and shame. All for the sake of a little comment.
James seems to be telling us we are in deep need of a savior. One who is loving, understanding, and forgiving. We are also in need of discipline. We need the ability to monitor and control what all parts of the body are doing in real-time.
Application: Practice pausing before you speak. Even when among friends. See if you can take control of every word your mouth utters.
Food for Thought: What hope does James leave us in today’s passage?
Well, it is not a real hopeful passage in itself. There is not a lot of hope for our tongue. Yet, as you point out here, it shows us our need and there is plenty of hope in Christ. Not only for our salvation, but for change. Through the Holy Spirits power we can use our tongue for good and learn to do so more consistently. Ephesians 4: 29.
Thank you, Rich! Those are encouraging words for all of us.
👍🏻
I like the application more than the food for thought on this one.