Reading: James 3
I fight regularly with what is referred to as the "strongest muscle in the body." As I observe the continual growth of my children, I realize that I, like them, must have struggled with this part of my body even when I was young. Many times I hear others referring to their own battle with this muscle and it makes me feel a little better. Yet, still when I am losing the battle against it, I want to just crawl into a corner and never come out. As I am in the middle of sulking in my regret, the words of many beloved Christians usually come to mind, “The tongue, who can tame it?” Yes, the tongue is the muscle that is referred to as the strongest muscle in the body. And I have experienced its overcoming strength many times.As I rue the things I had said which were out of line or were not beneficial to the Kingdom of God, I usually dust myself off with the statement of “the tongue, who can tame it?” In my reading of the third chapter of James, I had an enlightenment to the answer for this question. James talks about the tongue and how no man can tame it. James 3:7-8 states, “All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.” This Scripture is the basis for the question that I always brought to mind. However, when we take a more in depth look at what James is saying, we will see that there is a way to tame the tongue and it all begins with surrendering. James talks about how with our tongue we praise God at one moment and then in the next we curse men who have been made in God’s likeness. He expresses how that is not the way God wants us to be. For within His creation you will see that God created a spring to either produce fresh water or salt water, not both. The trees bear one type of fruit not many types. For by perfect design, God intends for our tongues to also produce one type of fruit - fruitful praise to Him and to bringing glory to His Name. Looking at chapter three verses 13-18 of his book, James actually tells us the source of taming the tongue: that is divine wisdom, wisdom from heaven above. Wisdom that is “first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.” (James 3:17) Wisdom obtained only from the Father, Who gave us the Holy Spirit to guide us in putting the godly wisdom into action and ultimately winning the battle of such things as the tongue.
How has your battle with your tongue been going lately? Are you sitting regularly in the pool of regret? Then let’s together get out of the filthy pool of regret and into the light of our Lord. We can’t just dust ourselves off and excuse our statements by saying the tongue cannot be tamed. I feel that James did not mean for us to use that verse as an excuse to continue in our sinful ways. Instead, let’s make way to the throne of God; ask Him for forgiveness; and then obtain the wisdom He offers. It is this wisdom that is pure, peace-loving, considerate, submissive, merciful, full of good fruit, impartial and sincere. This wisdom alone when put into practice is what can tame the tongue that in itself is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. Yes, the tongue can be tamed. Not by man, but by the power of heaven alone - power through our only source of true strength, our heavenly Father! It is through Him and only Him that the battle over the tongue can be won. He alone is the only One who can empower us to be a peacemaker who sows in peace and a harvester of righteousness.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, how I want to be able to tame this tongue of mine. Help me to surrender it to You. Give me the heavenly wisdom that will equip me to tame this restless evil, which is full of deadly poison. Bring to my attention the times that I am not submitting myself to Your Holy Spirit. Help me to draw strength from You so that I may produce the fruit You created me to produce. Fruit that glorifies You. Amen.
Psalm of Meditation:
“May my prayer be set before You like incense;
may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.
Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord;
keep watch over the door of my lips.
Let not my heart be drawn to what is evil,
to take part in wicked deeds with men who are evildoers;
let me not eat of their delicacies”
may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.
Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord;
keep watch over the door of my lips.
Let not my heart be drawn to what is evil,
to take part in wicked deeds with men who are evildoers;
let me not eat of their delicacies”
Psalm 141:2-4
