James 3:8 - We Need Christ For Speech Control.
James 3:8 (NKJV) But no man can tame the
tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
INTRODUCTION
James uses strong metaphors to warn us about
our speech. There is nothing good or bad, right
or wrong, about our ability to speak - the
tongue is simply a few ounces of muscle. But the
tongue gives voice to the heart, and the heart is
filled with plenty of things that may not be
helpful to talk about. Although the bad news is that
our negative words can be very powerful, the
good news is that our positive words can be
equally as powerful. We have an opportunity to bless
and speak truth and affirmation into people's
lives and to speak praises to God. When we use our
mouths in those ways, we are exercising the
powerful gift of speech in the manner God intended.
[NIV Once A Day Bible re Jam. 3:1-12]
If no human being can tame the tongue, why
bother trying? Even though we may not achieve
perfect control of our tongues, the Holy Spirit will
help us learn self-control. Remember that we are
not fighting the tongue's fire in our own
strength. The Holy Spirit will give us increasing
power to monitor and control what we say, so that
when we are offended, the Spirit will remind us
of God's love, and we won't react in a hateful
manner. When we are criticized, the Spirit will heal
the hurt and help us to not lash out. [Life
Application SB]
COMMENTARY PEARL
When Your Heart Changes, Your Talk Changes
As God transforms your heart, the way you
talk to others will begin to change. And that
will bring more harmony to your relationships.
Why? Because, in any relationship, most conflict
is caused by the words you say and how you say
them.
"It only takes a spark, remember, to set
off a forest fire. A careless or wrongly placed
word out of your mouth can do that. By our speech
we can ruin the world, turn harmony to chaos,
throw mud on a reputation, send the whole world up
in smoke and go up in smoke with it, smoke
right from the pit of hell" (James 3:5-6 The
Message).
People respond differently to stress and
pressure. When the pressure is on, what comes out in
someones speech reveals what's really going on in
their heart.
Under stress, kind people become kinder
and patient people become more patient. Under
stress, mean people become meaner, bullies become
bigger bullies, angry people become angrier, and
opinionated people become more opinionated.
Whatever is in your heart is going to
spill out when you're under pressure. So the only
way you can control what you say is to manage
whats going on in your heart. How do you really
feel about the people you interact with each day?
Does social, economic, or political standing have
any effect on how you see them? Do you give
equal respect to everyone you meet?
Humility means thinking of yourself less
and thinking more about the needs of others. It
means you meet people on their own terms; you
dont think you know it all. When you practice
humility, you start seeing people as God created them:
in his image, with great worth.
Ephesians 4:29 says, "Do not let any
unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what
is helpful for building others up according to
their needs, that it may benefit those who listen"
(NIV).
Imagine what would happen if everyone in
the church consistently saw people as God sees
them. We would become known for being humble and
kind and great listeners. We would have a lot
more harmony in our relationships. And we also
would show the world more of what Jesus is like!
[Daily Devotional by Rick Warren:
https://pastorrick.com/devotional/ re vss. 5-6]
COMMENTARY
Taming the Tongue
Curbing our tongue is a choice we make.
But the fact that no person can tame the tongue
means that only the Holy Spirit can free us from
sinful talk, so we have to invite Him to do exactly
that. We must acknowledge both our limitations and
the fact that we need His help. Otherwise we
will continue to start forest fires with our
words.
James was not overstating the damage we
do with our tongue. Bridling such a strong
force calls for the power of the Holy Spirit, a
power that is much stronger than our mere
willpower. So invite Him - right now - to teach you to
think before you speak, to call on Him when
self-control seems out of reach, and to enable you to
forgive those who, like you, struggle to subdue the
poisonous tongue.
Surrender your words to the Holy Spirit
and let Him transform them into instruments of
grace. [Being Still With God Every Day by Henry
Blackaby]
Diligent heart-keeping is essential to a
healthy growth in grace. The heart in its natural
state is a habitation for unholy thoughts and
sinful passions. When brought into subjection to
Christ, it must be cleansed by the Spirit from all
defilement. In the work of heart-keeping we must be
instant in prayer, unwearied in petitioning the
throne of grace for assistance.. The Saviour has
told us to pray without ceasing. The Christian
can not always be in the position of prayer, but
his thoughts and desires can always be upward.
They should cultivate a love for meditation, and
cherish a spirit of devotion..3BC1157
The heart must be renewed by divine grace,
or it will be in vain to seek for purity of
life. He who attempts to build up a noble,
virtuous character independent of the grace of Christ
is building his house upon the shifting sand.
In the fierce storms of temptation it will
surely be overthrown. Those who would not fall a
prey to Satan's devices must guard well the
avenues of the soul; they must avoid reading,
seeing, or hearing that which will suggest impure
thoughts. The mind should not be left to wander at
random upon every subject that the adversary of
souls may suggest This will require earnest
prayer and unceasing watchfulness. We must be aided
by the abiding influence of the Holy Spirit,
which will attract the mind upward, and habituate
it to dwell on pure and holy things. And we
must give diligent study to the word of God.
PP460
To keep your heart in heaven, will give
vigor to all your graces, and put life into all
your duties. To discipline the mind to dwell upon
heavenly things, will put life and earnestness into
all our endeavors As exercise increases the
appetite, and gives strength and healthy vigor to the
body, so will devotional exercises bring an
increase of grace and spiritual vigor. The affections
should center upon God. Contemplate His greatness,
His mercy and excellences. Let His goodness and
love and perfection of character captivate your
heart. 3BC1157
As God works upon the heart by His Holy
Spirit, man must cooperate with Him. The thoughts
must be bound about, restricted, withdrawn from
branching out and contemplating things that will only
weaken and defile the soul.. By beholding we are
to become changed, and as we meditate upon the
perfections of our divine Model, we shall desire to
become wholly transformed and renewed in the image
of His purity. There will be a hungering and
thirsting of soul to be made like Him whom we adore.
The more our thoughts are upon Christ, the more
we shall speak of Him to others, and represent
Him to the world. 3BC1145
WITHOUT A VITAL CONNECTION WITH GOD, THROUGH
THE SURRENDER OF OURSELVES TO HIM MOMENT BY
MOMENT, WE SHALL BE OVERCOME. WITHOUT A PERSONAL
ACQUAINTANCE WITH CHRIST, AND A CONTINUAL COMMUNION, WE
ARE AT THE MERCY OF THE ENEMY, AND SHALL DO HIS
BIDDING IN THE END. DA 324
ILLUSTRATION
I enjoy watching NBC's Today Show as part
of my morning routine. One day, I heard news
anchor Craig Melvin share a story about riding the
elevator at work with a colleague. After noticing the
woman's round tummy, Melvin cheerfully asked her,
"So when are you due?" Much to his dismay, she
looked at him and replied, "I'm not pregnant."
Mortified by his gaffe, Melvin quickly exited the
elevator at the next stop - and it wasn't even his
floor.
I chuckled at the story, but I could
certainly relate. My mother often told me as a child,
"Think before you speak." But I still fall short of
always heeding that wise advice. How many times
have I said something and immediately wished I
could snatch back the words as soon as they left
my mouth? An unkind comment about a colleague.
Harsh criticism of my husband. Complaints about my
life. Words that have hurt others and reflected
badly on me as a Christian and, even worse, have
not glorified God.
James, the brother of Jesus, does not
mince words when he talks about the power of the
tongue: "The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil
among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole
body, sets the whole course of one's life on fire,
and is itself set on fire by hell" (James 3:6,
NIV). Even King David asked the Lord to set a
guard over his mouth, as we see in Psalm 141:3.
And like David, I ask Jesus every day to be a
guard over my mouth too. Barbranda Lumpkins Walls
Faith Step: Do some quick thinking before
you speak. Before you make a comment, ask
yourself, Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary?
[Mornings With Jesus 2022 Devotional by Guideposts and
Zondervan re Psalm 141:3]
ONE LINER
THE TONGUE IS THE INDICATOR OF THE PERSON.
WHAT WE TALK ABOUT ALL THE TIME IS WHAT WE LIVE.
THE WORDS WE USE AND THE WORDS WE DON'T USE
DEFINE WHAT WE ARE THINKING, FEELING, AND BECOMING.
[Karen Burton Mains; Time with God
devotional SB re Mat.12:34]
CLOSING PEARL
Have you ever watched an icicle form? Did
you notice how the dripping water froze, one
drop at a time, until the icicle was a foot long
or more? If the water was clean, the icicle
remained clear and sparkled brightly in the sun; but
if the water was slightly muddy, the icicle
looked cloudy, its beauty spoiled. Our character is
formed in like manner. Each thought or feeling adds
its influence. Each decision we make - both
great and small - contributes its part. Everything
we take into our minds and souls - impressions,
experiences, images, or words - helps create our
character. At all times, we must be aware of the
"droplets" we allow to drip into our lives. Acts that
develop habits of hate, falsehood, and evil-intent
mar and eventually destroy us - but habits born
of love, truth, and goodness silently mold and
fashion us into the image of God. [God's Little
Devotional Bible]
LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS TOPIC
Proverbs 15:28 - The Grace of Thoughtful
Speech.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2004/20040802-1413.html
Colossians 4:6 - Speaking with Grace
Seasoned with Salt.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2018/20180428-1514.html
James 1:19 - Be Quick to Listen and Slow to
Speak.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2019/20191103-1032.html
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
A Man without Equal by Bill Bright:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo
Steps to Peace by Billy Graham:
https://stepstopeace.org/
Seeking God Made Real:
http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prayer Made Real:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies:
http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Voice of Prophecy Discover Bible Study
Guides:
https://www.voiceofprophecy.com/study/discover
Glow Tract Video Bible Studies:
http://www.bibleresearch.info/
LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS
Unlocking Bible Prophecies by Cami Oetman of
Adventist World Radio: https://www.awr.org/bible
Panorama of Prophecy with Pastor Doug
Batchelor: https://www.panoramaofprophecy.com/
Hope Awakens by John Bradshaw of IIW:
https://itiswritten.tv/programs/hope-awakens
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
Islam and Christianity in Prophecy, The
Third and Final Conflict by Tim Roosenberg:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHSJB-fuHLU&list=PLWhQIHGTHlkaGg5Cwe3NDzWtFX8vNSpsE
