Taming the Tongue

4-9-2009


It’s been said we remember 10% of what we hear, 50% of what we see, 70% of what we say, and 90% of what we see, hear, say, and do. I don’t know how true this is, but I would add that we typically remember just about 100% of the negative things we hear about us!
James begins chapter 3 by informing those of us that are in a leadership role, which is everyone on the earth, just how important and tough our job is as a believer in Christ. “Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. We all stumble in many ways” (James 2: 1-2). James is giving us clear advice that people will make attempts to shoot you down if you profess to live your life to a certain standard. Think about celebrities for a second, they can’t breathe without someone criticizing their every move. As a Christ follower, people are going to look at you more closely, and we must understand the leadership role we presume. The saying I like to keep in the back of my mind is, “you never know who is watching, so don’t let God down.” I know very strong men in their faith, yet they cuss fairly consistently. This is not the language Christ used, so we shouldn’t use it.

James does give us a little slack by reminding us that we are going to make mistakes, but one thing we must focus on are our words. The tongue is such a small part of the body, yet it has caused wars, killings, breakups, etc. James says, “The tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.” We as human beings try and try, but we cannot seem to tame the tongue. I think we’ve all said things we regret saying, and we’ve had some moments where we’ve said the right things at the perfect time.

As you go about your life, really focus on avoiding the negative discussions we’ve all found ourselves involved in. Avoid gossip, putting others down, bragging, exaggerating, complaining, and lying. Just walk away from these conversations. God calls us to be slow to speak. In other words, think, don’t just ramble. Years of relationship building can all come crashing down by just a few small words in a moment. On the flip side, just a few small words can lead you to patching up a broken relationship, forgiveness, and reconciliation.

I am a very blunt person, and I really have to work on the taming of my tongue. I used to be the type of person that is going to tell you exactly how I feel all of the time. I’ve learned to control my speech and simply walk away at times. One of the greatest blessings in my life is coaching younger kids. Talk about learning patience! If there is one major thing I’ve learned from coaching kids on the baseball field to adults in the business world it is this, people want you to be proud of them! No one wants to disappoint. People will respond to encouraging words with a positive outlook and appreciation. If you are a dictator, they may respond for a little while, but in the end, they will abandon you. Love people not only with your actions, but with your words!

Application:
1. Read James 3:1-12
2. What areas of your life do you really need to tame your tongue?
3. Go out of your way to speak random words of kindness to people...it may be a simple
and a hello.