Taming the Tongue

August 23, 2020 Background Scripture: James 3:1 – 12 Lesson Passage: James 3:1 – 12 I confess at the start that I know a whole lot about an untamed tongue! It doesn’t matter if you call it “a sharp tongue”, “flippant”, “a smart mouth”, or “quick witted”, I can speak to it. I don’t believe these are learned traits. It really seems as though this behavior is inextricably intertwined with one’s DNA. This trait is inextricable until God gets involved. God can undo anything within the person through the new birth. We were born with our DNA, but God can change the person on any level when they are born again. In fact, the purpose of the new birth is to bring about a change in the person. James wrote about the tongue not as an evaluation of the biological part of the person, but rather the use of the biological tongue to send forth language that has the capacity to speak blessings or curses into the lives of others. In this sense, the tongue is not viewed as part of the person’s biological makeup but as a biological tool that is used by the intellectual and moral being of the person. Taming the tongue is not a matter of what you can do to the biological material. But it is a matter of what can be wrought within the intellectual and moral being that is submitted to the Spirit of Christ. The Spirit of Christ in a saved person informs their intellectual and moral response to the environment around them. This is the only way I know to address “taming” the tongue. James goes to great length to talk about the power of the tongue. He warns his readers in a unique way not to overlook the tongue because of its size. He gives several examples of small things that can have great impact. Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the human body, but it can do great harm if not properly controlled. Although James wrote about the tongue as though it has a mind of its own, the mind that controls the tongue is part of the same person. Taming of the tongue involves submission of one’s self to God. A submitted person will follow the biblical admonishment to be transformed by the renewing of their mind. Through the renewal of the mind, that which is within a person that is like the world can be changed to become more like God. A tongue that is tamed speaks what God speaks. Thankfully, James does not set the bar so high as to make it impossible to reach. He wrote that we all stumble in many ways. He went on to state that if any person is never at fault in what they say, then that is a perfect person. If you can control your speech to such perfection, then the remainder of the body is easier to keep in check. Other than Jesus in the flesh, no other person gets to wear the label of “perfection”. Perfection is our aspiration and becoming better than who we are is our continuous goal. With this mindset, we can reach our ever-changing goals and move in the direction of perfection. This necessitates that the taming of the tongue should be included in our ever-changing goals of being better. It is reasonable for us to do this and yet it is not so challenging as to render it impossible. So, as we consider a better diet plan, a commitment to maintain a sane personal agenda, and a closer walk with the Lord, let us not forget to include taming of the tongue on our list of personal improvements. This is a tall order for many of us in the “fixer upper” stage. Thanks be to God for giving us the power of the Holy Spirit working within to assist us in our pursuit of better. Robert C. Hudson