It's been a while since I posted on this blog, so I decided to start posting again. This is a short devotional I wrote.
From James 3:2-12
Think of the most dangerous creature in the world. Maybe it’s a tiger, or a bear, or even the deadly box jellyfish. Just about anything you can think of has somewhere been tamed and locked up in a zoo. Even though man can tame the deadliest animals, we cannot tame the most dangerous thing in the world: our tongues. In James 3:2-10, James uses the metaphor of taming animals to apply to the problem of our tongues.
James says that everyone stumbles in what he says. Everyone sins through speech at one time or another. Some examples of terrible things that we do with our tongue are discouraging others, not sharing the gospel, and cursing. Our tongues are so bad that James uses several phrases to describe them: set on fire by hell, boasting, representing a world of evil, and full of deadly poison. Our tongue is more dangerous than the most lethal animal on the planet because it can send us (and other people!) to hell.
As well as the animal illustration, James uses three other illustrations to show how the tongue is so dangerous and powerful. The first of these (beginning in verse 3) is that of a horse and a bit. A bit is a small piece of metal that is put into a horse’s mouth and attached to ropes to pull the horse’s head. By tugging the ropes, a person can control the horse. The tongue is like a bit: it controls our whole body. The second illustration is similar to the first: it is about a ship’s rudder. Before the invention of rotating motors, boats would move by huge sails, but steered by a relatively small piece of wood called a rudder. By turning the rudder back and forth, the ship could turn in different directions. Our tongues are like rudders: they are small, but they can steer us. The final illustration that James uses in this passage is different: a fire. We hear about forest fires a lot, and how they started by “just one small campfire” or “just one spark.” Just like a small spark or one campfire left burning, our tongue can cause a lot of sin and trouble.
This might seem depressing- no one can tame the tongue, and it is dangerous and often evil. It’s filled with the deadly poison of words. Just like a small spark or one campfire left burning, our tongue can. So why would you even try to tame your tongue? It isn’t possible for you to entirely make your mouth speak the perfect words, but there are ways to regulate some of what your tongue says. First of all, accept Jesus. Without Him, it is not possible to tame the tongue. Second, you can share the gospel. If your mouth is busy telling others about the Him who helps you tame your tongue, then it won’t be able to sin. Third, encourage others. Trying to discourage and put people down is sin, so tame your tongue by doing the opposite. However, there is only so much you can do to tame your tongue.
At the end of the passage, James uses two illustrations on how to apply these things. The first illustration is about a spring. A spring can’t produce bad water and good water. Whatever is underground will come through the spring. This is like a phrase I once heard: “What is down in the well comes up in the bucket.” Our tongues speak what is in our hearts. If our hearts are pure, our tongues will be also. If our hearts are evil, our tongues will be also. We can influence how our hearts are in many ways. We can change what we read, watch, and listen to. We can pay attention to sermons and lessons. We can get into the word of God daily. And most of all, we can pray that our hearts will be changed.
From James 3:2-12
Think of the most dangerous creature in the world. Maybe it’s a tiger, or a bear, or even the deadly box jellyfish. Just about anything you can think of has somewhere been tamed and locked up in a zoo. Even though man can tame the deadliest animals, we cannot tame the most dangerous thing in the world: our tongues. In James 3:2-10, James uses the metaphor of taming animals to apply to the problem of our tongues.
James says that everyone stumbles in what he says. Everyone sins through speech at one time or another. Some examples of terrible things that we do with our tongue are discouraging others, not sharing the gospel, and cursing. Our tongues are so bad that James uses several phrases to describe them: set on fire by hell, boasting, representing a world of evil, and full of deadly poison. Our tongue is more dangerous than the most lethal animal on the planet because it can send us (and other people!) to hell.
As well as the animal illustration, James uses three other illustrations to show how the tongue is so dangerous and powerful. The first of these (beginning in verse 3) is that of a horse and a bit. A bit is a small piece of metal that is put into a horse’s mouth and attached to ropes to pull the horse’s head. By tugging the ropes, a person can control the horse. The tongue is like a bit: it controls our whole body. The second illustration is similar to the first: it is about a ship’s rudder. Before the invention of rotating motors, boats would move by huge sails, but steered by a relatively small piece of wood called a rudder. By turning the rudder back and forth, the ship could turn in different directions. Our tongues are like rudders: they are small, but they can steer us. The final illustration that James uses in this passage is different: a fire. We hear about forest fires a lot, and how they started by “just one small campfire” or “just one spark.” Just like a small spark or one campfire left burning, our tongue can cause a lot of sin and trouble.
This might seem depressing- no one can tame the tongue, and it is dangerous and often evil. It’s filled with the deadly poison of words. Just like a small spark or one campfire left burning, our tongue can. So why would you even try to tame your tongue? It isn’t possible for you to entirely make your mouth speak the perfect words, but there are ways to regulate some of what your tongue says. First of all, accept Jesus. Without Him, it is not possible to tame the tongue. Second, you can share the gospel. If your mouth is busy telling others about the Him who helps you tame your tongue, then it won’t be able to sin. Third, encourage others. Trying to discourage and put people down is sin, so tame your tongue by doing the opposite. However, there is only so much you can do to tame your tongue.
At the end of the passage, James uses two illustrations on how to apply these things. The first illustration is about a spring. A spring can’t produce bad water and good water. Whatever is underground will come through the spring. This is like a phrase I once heard: “What is down in the well comes up in the bucket.” Our tongues speak what is in our hearts. If our hearts are pure, our tongues will be also. If our hearts are evil, our tongues will be also. We can influence how our hearts are in many ways. We can change what we read, watch, and listen to. We can pay attention to sermons and lessons. We can get into the word of God daily. And most of all, we can pray that our hearts will be changed.
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