Read James 3:1-12
"If you don't have anything nice to say, then don't say anything at all" is another phrase I must have heard a million times growing up. If we would all just play by that rule, the world would be a much nicer place to live. It is a rule I try to live by. But sometimes I have the perfect come back, and before I even know what I'm saying, it is too late.
Of course, that is thirty year old me speaking. Twenty-one year old me knew that words could bruise the soul and I made careful and precise use of them. It seemed that I always knew the exact words that would slowly and subtly crush those around me, and to my shame I used them. Actions may speak louder, but words leave the deepest wounds. Unfortunately, it is most often those that are closest to us that are the causalities of our words.
".... but no human being can tame the tongue."
We are now about half way through James's letter, and this is the second time he has mentioned the need to tame our tongue. James is starting to sound a little bit like the aging uncle at family reunions that turns every conversation into a discussion about his favorite soap box topic; usually something related to politics, the economy, or "kids these days". Why does James keep bringing everything back to this topic? Why is "taming the tongue" so important?
Lets look at what else the bible says about our speech:
Luke 6:43-45
Jesus is saying that in order for the words to come out of your mouth, they must first come through the filter of your heart. That means if your words are evil and destructive, then your heart is too. Our words serve as a warning system to us. They tell us that we have an evil heart and that we need a new one.
Proverbs 6 is littered with warnings about speech. In verses 16 and 17 the author lists a lying tongue as one of the six things God hates.
Proverbs 10:18-22 once again links the words you say to the condition of your heart.
Matthew 12:33-37
Finally, here in verse 36, Jesus says that we will give an account for every careless word. We will have to answer for the times that the "perfect come back" slips out before we even know we are talking. We will be judged by the angry words that we only say in the heat of an argument. Because, while they may not convey our actual feelings, they do reveal the actual condition of our heart.
The two most valuable things you have are time and words. Once you use them, you can never get them back. So spend some time today praying that God will purify your heart and sanctify your words. Because, while you may not be what you eat, you are what you say.
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