“But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison” (James 3:8).
According to Scripture, the tongue reveals the true person because it manifests the condition of the heart. Jesus said, “But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies…” (Matt. 15:18-19). We read in Job 15:5: “For your iniquity teaches your mouth, and you choose the tongue of the crafty.” Simply stated, a man’s heart is the storehouse and his words indicate what’s stored there. As a doctor puts a thermometer under your tongue for your physical temperature, so Scripture teaches that the tongue reveals your spiritual temperature. It was said to Peter by those in the courtyard …“Your speech betrays you.” Jesus said in Luke 6:45: “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”
However, we live in a society that thinks it can say just anything it wants in the name of freedom of speech, and this attitude too often creeps into the church. But James 1:26 tells us that genuine faith shows itself in the control of the tongue. “If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless.” In other words, is your speech consistent with the faith you profess? James says true faith is manifested by those who bridle the tongue, and the reason we must bridle the tongue is because of its great potential to condemn. Proverbs 26:20: “Where there’s no wood, the fire goes out; and where there’s no talebearer, strife ceases.” The talebearer or gossiper who passes on the evil report is the wood that fuels the fire. How are you doing with controlling your tongue? Is your speech seasoned with salt so that it imparts grace to the hearers (Col. 4:6), or do you just let your words fling off your tongue like a little boy who is just beginning to shoot a bow & arrow?
The following prayer ought to be the prayer of every believer: O LORD, help me to guard my ways that I may not sin with my tongue (Psalm 39:1). Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth, and keep watch over the door of my lips (Psalm 141:3) that I may not stumble in what I say (James 3:2). Let my speech always be gracious and seasoned with salt in order that I may know how to answer others for Your glory and their good (Colossians 4:6). Let my mouth utter wisdom, and my tongue speak justice (Psalm 37:30), and let not Your Word depart from my mouth (Isaiah 59:21). Help me always to open my mouth with wisdom, and make me to know what is acceptable (Proverbs 10:32) that my tongue may be as choice silver, and my lips may feed many people true wisdom (Proverbs 10:20-21). Grant this I pray, O Lord, for the sake of Your glory, honor, and praise. Amen!