Who Can Tame The Tongue?

But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening?
—James 3:8-11

I heard a good sermon this past Sabbath about guarding our testimony as believers. One of the perennial concerns we should have is guarding our testimony as believers, and we do so by bridling our tongue. The Apostle Paul exhorts us in his letter to the Colossians, "Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one" (Col 4:6). This goes beyond just abstinence from cursing, and coarse language.

Do you gossip, embellish slander, betray the confidence of counsel? "A talebearer reveals secrets, but he who is of a faithful spirit conceals a matter" (Prv. 11:13). It afflicts everyone in some facet. But we should strive to take our minds captive with the Word of God, and heed its exhortations on our conduct of speech. We of faith should strive to exemplify the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ, and do unto others as we would have them to do to us. Much of the sin we commit against one another starts with a foolish tongue, our speech.

May I bridle my tongue, and speak with grace, as all those of faith should do.

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