Taming the Tongue
James 1:26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.
We could say it this way. If any man among you is counted to be religious, one who fears God, and does not guide his tongue and hold it in check, the outward show of his religion is devoid of force, useless, and of no purpose.
That’s a strong statement. The way we use our words can determine if our display of faith in God is effective or without purpose. It’s interesting that James would say this, especially when compared to another verse also found in the book of James.
Bridle the tongue
James 3:7 For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:
James 3:8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
Is this a contradiction? This verse seems to say that no man can tame the tongue, while the other verse says that one who is religious must bridle his tongue, or his religion is useless. If the tongue cannot be tamed, then why even bring up the subject?
No Man can Tame the Tongue
But notice that he says no man can tame the tongue. The truth is that the tongue can indeed be tamed, or else the subject would never have been brought up in the Bible. But it can only be tamed by the working of the Holy Spirit in a believer’s life. We must have the revelation of the word of God that the Spirit gives us concerning the power of our words.
Why are Words Powerful?
Hebrews 11:3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
All of creation was formed by the words of God. When God spoke, things happened. He knew what He wanted to create, and He spoke it into being.
Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
God created man in His own image. When He breathed the breath of life into him, man looked just like God. He was the mirror image of the divine creator.
The Ability to Speak
Man is the only earthly creature having the capacity for intentional speech. While certain birds can mimic sounds, only men and women can use words to convey meaning and thought.
The ability to speak is the thing that makes man godlike, made in the image and likeness of God. It is not an insignificant characteristic. It is a divine endowment, and the words we speak carry power with them.
Death and Life
Proverbs 18:20 A man's belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled.
Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.
A man shall be filled to the full with the increase or, that is, the harvest of his words. Death and life are under the control of the tongue. And they that love to talk shall eat the fruit that it produces.
Words produce fruit. They bring forth a harvest in our lives. Words are like seeds planted into the soil of our heart. And left unhindered, they will slowly grow and produce a crop in our life.
Should we be deliberate about what we do not allow ourselves to say? Yes. Wrong words affect our lives in a bad way. And should we be mindful of what we allow ourselves to intentionally say? Yes. The right words affect our lives in a good way. This process is called bridling the tongue.
In the Multitude of Words
Proverbs 10:19 In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.
Talking too much can work against us. A previous verse we looked at said that death and life are in the power of the tongue, and that those that love it, that is, those who love to talk, shall eat the fruit it produces.
This verse in Proverbs 10 tells us that in the multitude of words, that is, when a lot of words are being spoken, there is no lack of sin. We can sin with our words. And it says that he who refrains his lips is wise. Wouldn’t it be wise to not talk so much?
Bit is a Horse’s Mouth
James 3:3 Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.
James is talking here about bridling the tongue. And he says that we put bits in the horses’ mouths, so that we can turn their body in the right direction. What is he saying here? He is talking about our words, our mouths. We turn the horse’s mouth to turn its direction. In the same way, we can turn our mouths, our words, and go in a different direction.
Our life is going to go the way our mouth goes. The mouth goes first and our life follows in that direction. If we can check ourselves from saying the wrong things, and be cautious in guiding ourselves into saying the right things, then our life will begin to go in a the right direction.
The Helm of a Ship
James 3:4 Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth.
To further make the same point, James uses the illustration of a ship captain at the helm of a ship. Even though the ship is massive in size and can be moved by strong winds, the captain, by turning the helm, the wheel, turns the rudder, and the ship is forced in a different direction.
The helm is referring to our tongue, our words. If we turn the direction of our words, then the ship, our life, will move in a different direction also.
James 3:2 For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.
If we can control our tongues, we can control ourselves in every way. The word “tongue” refers to our words, and the phrase “whole body” refers to our life. We can literally determine the direction our life will go by the words we speak.
Proverbs 21:23 Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles.
Do you want to avoid troubles and undesired situations? Then put a bridle on your tongue. By keeping our mouth, we can keep our soul from a lot of the troubles that most people experience.
We would be wise to not say or talk about things we would not want to come to pass in our lives.
Speaking the Word of God
The other side of the coin where taming the tongue is concerned is to begin to make it a habit of saying the right things, things that contain life in them. Remember, death and life are in the power of the tongue. We can choose to speak life, the things that will produce good things in our life.
The Bible is, among other things, a book of promises. The Bible itself refers to them as exceeding great and precious promises.
Exceeding Great and Precious Promises
2 Peter 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
A little searching on the Web will reveal to us that there are around 8,810 promises in the word of God. These are the things we should be putting into our hearts and speaking with our mouths, as a matter of daily habit and routine. After all, if we turn our mouth in a different direction, we will go a different way in our life. We will move toward the blessings of God.
What are the Promises of God to Us?
Well, to name just a few, eternal life, healing of our bodies, the Holy Spirit, peace that passes all understanding, wisdom, the mind of Christ, the gift of righteousness, the promise of patience, the presence of the Lord, guidance and direction for your life, joy unspeakable and full of glory, the supplying of all our needs, and numerous other blessings.
Search the Scriptures
Do some research. Find out what the word of God promises. Look up the scripture verses. Read them. Think about them. Begin to speak the promises over your life. Here are a few examples of how to do that.
Eternal Life
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Therefore I say: God so loved me that He gave His only son, so that I would not perish, but have everlasting life. I have everlasting life in Christ Jesus. I will live forever with Him.
Healing
1 Peter 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
Therefore I say: Jesus bore my sins in His own body on the tree, so that I could be dead to sins, and live unto righteousness. And by His stripes I am healed of every infirmity.
Peace
Isaiah 26:3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
Therefore I say: The Lord will keep me in perfect peace, because I keep my mind stayed upon HIm. I trust in the Lord wi\th all my heart.
These are only a few of the promises available to us in the word of God. For further study on the promises, see my website promisesinthebible.com.