“If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are only fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless!” James 1:26
“Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.” James 3:1
God’s Plan For My Tongue
The tongue steers where you’re headed
- “We can control very large horses by putting a small bit into their mouths. By controlling their mouth, we can turn the whole animal in whatever direction we want it to go.” James 3:3
- “Or take ships as an example. A tiny rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot wants it to go, even though the winds are strong.” James 3:4
The tongue can cause great destruction
- “Your tongue is a small thing, but what enormous damage it can do! Just like a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire, your tongue is also a dangerous fire.” James 3:5
- “Among all the parts in your body, your tongue the one that causes the most wickedness and spreads evil everywhere. It can corrupt and ruin your whole life. It can turn the entire course of your life into a blazing fire of destruction, because it is set on fire by hell itself! James 3:6
- “People can tame all kinds of animals and birds and reptiles and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is an uncontrollable evil, full of deadly poison.” James 3:7-8
The tongue displays who you are
- “We use our tongue to praise our Lord and Father, but then we use the same tongue to attack and curse other people who’ve been made in the same image of God! So blessing some people and cursing others comes out of the same mouth! Listen, my brothers and sisters, THIS SHOULD NEVER HAPPEN!” James 3:9-10
- “Can fresh water and bitter water come out of the same spring? No! Can a fig tree bear olives or a grapevine produce figs? No! And you can’t get fresh water out of a polluted well! How humbly you live, not how you talk, shows your wisdom. If you harbor bitterness or jealousy or self-centered bias IN YOUR HEART, you shouldn’t boast that you’re wise. You deny the truth to make yourself look better. That’s not wisdom; it’s earthly, it’s unspiritual and it’s inspired by the devil.” James 3:11-15
The deeper problem isn’t your tongue. It’s Your Heart
Giving The Power Back To The Lord
Ask the Holy Spirit to change your heart
- “Rid yourself of all the offenses you have committed and get a new heart and a new spirit!” Ezekiel 18:31
- Jesus: “For out of the overflow of your heart your mouth speaks.” Matthew 12:34
Ask Him to help you manage your mouth
- “Lord, help me control my tongue; and help me be careful about what I say.” Psalm 141:3
- “Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.” James 1:19
Giving your heart back to God syncs up your faith and tongue.