The Ungovernable Tongue
James 3: 8
“But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.”
Hey sisters! Happy New Year!
There is so much to catch up on in the lives of Viv and Mon - but we are starting this year off with some WORD.
Open your bible and turn to James chapter 3.
I have been dwelling on this chapter for a few days now. I am seeking God because I have witnessed firsthand what the tongue can do to a person.
Trust me - I’ve been on the distributing end of letting out some poison (even if unintentionally)… but more recently I’ve experienced the receiving end.
Honestly, all I can do is give God praise, because he uses others to teach and train us and remove what’s in us that’s not like him.
Because of these past few weeks, I have more desire for meekness and words seasoned with grace, mercy, and tender kindness. I desire to have James 3:17-18
Let’s get into it!
READ THE ENTIRE CHAPTER of James 3! Before you dive into this blog…just sit and read the chapter. Then come back. Seriously sis it’s only 18 versus…
Okay,
So, this blog will touch on a few things - and a lot of cross-reference scriptures.
First, what is the fruit of an ungovernable tongue?
What is required of us, as believers, surrounding our speech? (How we ought to speak)
How do we respond to an uncontrolled tongue? (from a believer OR otherwise)
A tongue restrained.
So. What does an ungovernable tongue look like?
Let’s start with the text.
James 3: 5-6 KJV
5 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!
6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.
The mouth is one of the smallest members of the body, and yet the damage it can cause is detrimental. With it, you can defile your entire body.
Evil words are vain (Job 15:2-6), Hasty (Proverbs 29:20), Irreverent (Mal 3:13-15), Enticing (Col 2:4), Flattering (1 Th 2:5; Psalms 12:3), Insincere (2 Peter 2: 3), Proud (2 Peter 2:18), and Malicious (3 John 10).
There is so much here (take your time and read the scriptures…we studying, sis).
Vain - Idle, worthless - having no real value; unsuccessful -useless, foolish, silly
Hasty - done in a hurry, fast and typically superficial, acting too quickly: overly eager
Irreverent - profane, serving to debase or defile what is holy; vulgar, lack of respect
Enticing - to lure, lead astray from one’s true course, to attract by desire
Flattering - excessively or insincerely complimentary; helping to enhance attractiveness, full of praise
Insincere - Fake. Not genuine
Proud - Having or showing an excessively high opinion of oneself or one’s importance; Feeling deep pleasure as a result of one’s achievements, qualities, or possessions OR of those of someone with whom one is closely associated (View our blog on Pride Here!)
Malicious - having or showing the desire to cause someone harm
This is A LOT. Watching your speech is a full-time, intentional, job. I am learning that being quiet is best (and if you know me…you know that this is different because I used to run my mouth…A LOT. Mostly vain. Sometimes hasty. Listening to respond, instead of to hear.)
This is also helpful when watching the fruit of others. If you recognize that someone’s mouth matches the things listed above…that there is confusion, envy, and strife, the word of God says: This wisdom descendeth not from above but is earthly, sensual, devilish (James 3:14-16).
Okay, So what is required of us, as believers, surrounding our speech? (How we ought to speak)
Wise speech is given from above.
James 3:17 says it is pure, peaceable, gentile, easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
Pure - unmixed with any other matter; spotless, stainless, free from taint
Peaceable - not contentious or quarrelsome; quietly behaved; free from strife or disorder
Gentile - free from harshness, sternness, or violence; Kind, amiable, soft
Easy to be intreated - easily asked; open to reason, willing to listen - cooperate when a better way is shown (aligned through scripture) This is a non-contentious wise person
Full of mercy and good fruits - Mercy is compassion or forbearance; Fruits of the spirit (Galatians 5:22-23)
Without partiality - without bias, prejudice, or favoritism without hypocrisy - without contradiction; Hypocrisy is behavior that contradicts what one claims to believe.
The Bible says wise words are Forcible (Job 6:25), Pleasant (Proverbs 16:24), Appropriate (Proverbs 25:11), Gracious (Ecclesiastes 10:12), Inspiring and Unforgettable (Ecclesiastes 12:11), Comforting (Isaiah 50:4).
Isaiah 50:4 KJV
4 The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.
If you are wondering how to get to this place, where your speech is clothed in righteousness…ask God. He will teach you and bring you to a place where you desire to speak life, not respond in anger, not argue, to not speak to people in ways that cause harm. He will cause you to think before letting emotions and flesh control your members. He will guide you and tell you when to be quiet and when to speak.
Now…how do we respond to an uncontrolled tongue?
This…will have you in tears.
It is our responsibility as believers to NOT respond.
We are instructed to hold our peace. To not argue. To not strive. To take the offense.
Luke 6:28- Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.
Romans 12:14- Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.
Proverbs 15:1- A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.
Job 6:24-25- Teach me, and I will hold my tongue: and cause me to understand wherein I have erred. 25 How forcible are right words! but what doth your arguing reprove?
1 Co 13:7- Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
Ephesians 4:2- With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
Christ endured the cross, despising the shame (Heb 12:2). They spit on him, mocked him, beat him - and he opened not his mouth. He is our example.
We too must endure suffering (our light afflictions) - and we are forbidden from retaliation
Luke 19:18- Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord.
Proverbs 20:22- Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the Lord, and he shall save thee.
Proverbs 24:29- Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me: I will render to the man according to his work.
Matthew 5:39- But I say unto you, that ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
1 Peter 3:9- Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.
God is changing me. And he has used life circumstances to work out of me things that I have built up- Thinking that people can’t speak condescendingly to me, pride, the idea that I have a right.
All of its false. and it took the uncontrolled tongue of another to show me, me.
I cried. because it does not feel good. But God came to see about me (as always lol).
One of the things that I am pressing for this year is discretion - the quality of having or showing discernment or good judgment: the quality of being discreet.
A chaste, meek, quiet spirit. Not responding in word - but prayer. OR when I do respond…responding with scripture because what can come against Gods Word? IT’S HARD lol.
James 3:2 says If you can control your mouth and not offend in word, the same man is perfect and able to control the whole body.
I am working on a tongue-restrained -
Psalm 34:13 - Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.
Proverbs 13:3 - He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction.
Proverbs 21:23 - Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles.
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.
1 Peter 3:10 - For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:
We are nearing the end of the first month of the new year (unbelievable). Let’s govern our tongue this year, and watch God move on our behalf as we follow after his word!!
With love -
SOS