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]
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]
COMMENTARY
Words That Harm
Three things never come back: the spent
arrow, the spoken word, and the lost opportunity.
What we say cannot be unsaid. What's more, we
will be called to account for every word we have
spoken - even our careless ones - at the day of
reckoning (see Matthew 12:36). As King Solomon put it,
"Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who
opens wide his lips comes to ruin" (Proverbs
13:3); and "Death and life are in the power of the
tongue" (18:21). Our words can serve to encourage,
to nourish, and to heal. But they can also
cause strife, create dissension, and do harm.
Solomon gives us a multifaceted picture of what
characterizes such harmful words. He describes words that
harm as those that are reckless, as being "like
sword thrusts" (12:18). Our words so often spill
forth unguardedly, and we become someone who
"gives an answer before he hears" (18:13). "When
words are many, transgression is not lacking"
(10:19).
You will likely have heard the saying
that sticks and stones can break our bones, but
words can never harm us - but that is dead wrong.
Bruises may fade and the marks they made be
forgotten. But hurtful words that have been said to us
and about us tend to remain with us for a long
time. Truer are these lines:
A careless word may kindle strife,
A cruel word may wreck a life,
A bitter word may hate instill,
A brutal word may smite and kill.
It would be difficult to estimate how
many friendships are broken, how many reputations
are ruined, or the peace of how many homes is
destroyed through harmful words. The very source of
all such animosity and abusive language,
according to James, is none other than hell itself.
Yes, our tongue is "a fire," and "no human being
can tame the tongue" without the work of God's
Holy Spirit.
Stop and think of how many words you have
used in the last 24 hours, and how they were
used. "Death and life are in the power of the
tongue" - so did any of your words cause harm,
tearing someone else down in some way? That is a sin
to be repented of and turned from. Is that
something you need to do, both before God and to the
person to whom those words were spoken?
Then think of the words you may speak
over the next 24 hours. How might they be used to
bring life? How might you reflect the one who
"committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his
mouth"? Rather, "when he was reviled, he did not
revile in return ... He himself bore our sins ...
that we might die to sin and live to
righteousness" (1 Peter 2:22-24). [Truth for Life by
Alistair Begg re James 3:6, 8]
Words That Help
In the course of our lives we are
confronted by unfairness, by unkindness, by
disagreeable circumstances, and often by disagreeable
people. Before offering a verbal response in these
situations, we would do well to recall this truth
learned from our Lord: our words reflect our hearts
(Matthew 12:34). If our words are not Christlike, we
must look first not to our mouths but to our
hearts. Equally, it is an indication of our Lord's
work within us when we respond to conflict and
challenge with words that help rather than those that
harm.
Our tongues contain immense power, and we
may leverage them to help, to encourage, to
affirm, to enrich, to reconcile, to forgive, to
unite, to smooth, and to bless. It is not by
accident that so many of the Old Testament proverbs
address the words we speak. According to Solomon,
"The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of
life" (Proverbs 10:11). He compares this use of
words to lovely earrings that adorn the beauty of
the wearer and to beautiful ornaments that
enhance the loveliness of a home (25:12). Perhaps
his most classic statement about the power of
speech is his observation that "a word fitly spoken
is like apples of gold in a setting of silver"
(v 11).
What is it that makes for such
life-giving language? How can our mouths be those that
bring blessing to others? Words of blessing are
marked by honesty, by "speaking the truth in love"
(Ephesians 4:15). They are thoughtful, spoken by one
who "ponders how to answer" (Proverbs 15:28).
They are often few and marked by reason: "Whoever
restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a
cool spirit is a man of understanding" (17:27).
And, of course, helpful words will be
gentle words. Though it may be hard to remember in
the throes of difficult circumstances, it
remains true that "a soft answer turns away wrath"
(Proverbs 15:1). Indeed, a gentle response wells up
from moral strength; it takes far more
self-control to respond in gentleness than to give way to
unbridled passion and anger.
What will mark your words? Will you
commit yourself to using your tongue - that small
but immensely powerful member of your body - to
bless rather than curse, to give life rather than
tear it down, and to help rather than harm?
Resolve today to use your words for the
good of those with whom you interact, honoring
Christ in your heart and letting His sweet aroma
fill your speech. Then humbly acknowledge that
you Cannot do this yourself (James 3:8), and ask
Him to fill you with His Spirit - the Spirit who
grows peace, gentleness, and self-control both in
your heart and in your speech (Galatians
5:22-23). [Truth for Life by Alistair Begg re James
3:10-12]
CLOSING 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]
ONE LINER
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
LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE
James 3:8 - We Need Christ For Speech
Control.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2022/20220220-1055.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
