JAMES 3
Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 2 For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. 3 If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. 4 Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water. – James 3:1-12
JAMES 3 CONTROL YOUR TONGUE
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
The tongue is a part of your being that can stain your entire body
Even if it is very small it can build up or totally destroy anybody
If you do not control your tongue, you will be led to destruction
And it can destroy another person’s character or reputation
If you do not rend it, it will spew out wicked things to say
If you keep it silent, you can filter it and keep it at bay
Submit to God’s laws and words and you can control it
Cater to your own cravings and it will creep in your lips.
In this letter of James to the church, he gives a detailed description of the power of the tongue. Despite its small size, it is very commanding and powerful. There are many bible verses that talks about the power of the tongue in the book of Proverbs such as verses 18:21, 18:7-8, 21:19,25:23 but the most detailed description of the authority of the tongue is explained in the book of James in these following verses. He gives us a sketch of the tongue’s origin which is from hell in verse 6. It is described as a restless evil in verse 8 which is full of deadly poison and untameable. He likens the tongue to a rudder of a ship in verse 4 that causes the ship’s direction. Without controlling the rudder, it will fail to go to its destination. He also likens it to a fire that could be a small start but could set ablaze a whole forest. James further describes how evil the tongue is because it can praise God and also destroy the image bearers of God when it attacks another person with slander and gossip. Just one statement that could doubt the identity of another individual could lead to another person’s ruin.
REFLECTION
- Share insights how the tongue ruined another person’s life and reputation.
