What Are You Saying?
If there is anything that can get us into trouble it is our tongues. James 3 likens the tongue to a rudder that steers a large ship. Verse 5 says, "Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body but it makes great boasts." James goes on to say that the tongue is like a small spark that can set a forest fire. It can be a world of evil and corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire. He talks in verses 9-13 about the duplicity of the tongue. It can praise God and in the next moment curse men. "Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing."
If we stop with those verses it sounds like a hopeless case; I can't control my tongue, it's always going to get me in trouble. So I might as well not fight against it. Correct teaching is built precept upon precept and we see in other places in Scripture that by submitting our whole being unto the Lord the tongue can also be tamed. Rom. 12:1 says, "I urge you brothers in view of God's mercy to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God -- this is your spiritual act of worship." The tongue is part of your body and it can be offered to the Lord and be pleasing to him. Self control is a fruit of the Spirit. Gal. 5:22.
The Psalms and Proverbs have a lot to say about the tongue. Psa. 54:2. David invited God to listen to the words of his mouth. (God listens whether we invite him or not!!!) Do we really want God to listen to what we are saying? What are we saying about our spouses, our children, our friends, our church, or our pastor? Are we prone to gossip? Prov. 16:28 says, "A gossip separates close friends." And what do we say about ourselves? Do we say things like, I'm dumb, I have no talent, I'm uninteresting, I am unattractive, I'm miserable, I am no good, people don't like me, I'm poor, etc., etc.
The truth of the matter is that we can choose what we say. We have the power of choice. Psa. 17:3. "I have resolved that my mouth will not sin." Psa. 141:3, Living Bible, "Help me Lord to keep my mouth shut and my lips sealed." Prov. 30:32 has some good advice. Clap your hand over your mouth if you have a problem with self control. Prov. 12;3. "He who guards his lips guards his life.' Rom. 8:37 tells us that in all things we are more than conquerors. We don't have to give up and put up with an uncontrolled tongue.
Speaking something is confirmation of a matter. Rom. 10:10 (Amplified Version) says "For the heart of a person believes and so is justified, and with the mouth he confesses and confirms his salvation." The spies who went into Canaan and came back with a bad report said "We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes and we looked the same to them." (Num. 13:33) They confessed they were like grasshoppers. But Caleb, who was with them, had a different confession. "We should go up and take possession of the land for we can certainly do it." Num. 13:30.
Our tongue can speak uplifting, edifying things. "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver." Prov. 25:11. "A man has joy in making an apt answer, and a word spoken at the right time, how good it is." Prov. 15:23.
Listen to the song of Moses found in Deut 32. "Listen, O heavens, and I will speak; hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. Let my teaching fall like rain and my words descend like dew, like showers on new grass, like abundant rain on tender plants. I will proclaim the name of the Lord. Oh, praise the greatness of our God! He is the Rock, his works are perfect and all his ways are just. A faithful God, who does no wrong, upright and just is he." What a wonderful use of Moses' tongue.
God is good all the time,
Naomi Brinkman
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