Small but Deadly

Posted : 18 Aug, 2014 05:17 AM

Every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

� James 3:7-8



James 3



New King James Version (NKJV)

The Untamable Tongue



1 My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.

2 For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man:angel:, able also to bridle the whole body. 3 Indeed, we put bits in horses� mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body.

4 Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires. 5 Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things.



See how great a forest a little fire kindles! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell.

7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. 8 But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

9 With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse :devil:men, who have been made in the similitude of God. 10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing:devil:. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? 12 Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh.



A tongue controlled by Jesus Christ can be a great blessing. But uncontrolled:devil:, it can do much damage. Just as a horse is controlled by a bit, we are controlled by our words. Think about it: one word or one statement can determine the course of our lives. For example, saying "I will" to the claims of Christ can change our eternal destiny. Our words so dramatically affect the course that our lives will take.



James says "the tongue is a little member" (3:5), which simply means that it is a small part of our body. But it can do so much damage. We may see someone with bulging biceps and muscular legs and feel intimidated. But what we ought to be worried about is that little two ounce slab of mucus membrane in his mouth � the tongue. That can do more damage than anything else.



A false witness can cause the death of an innocent man (Proverbs 25:18), or a comforter can give hope to a suicidal person by an uplifting word (Proverbs 12:27). A slanderer can destroy the reputation of a good person (Psalm 56:2; 1 Corinthians 6:10). A seductive woman can, by her tempting words, ruin a man's life (Proverbs 23:27; Proverbs 7:5; Proverbs 5:3). Godly parents can teach their children the truth of God's Word (Proverbs 22:6), setting them on the path of life. A wise counselor can steer the young through the perils and vulnerabilities of their youth (2 Timothy 2:22).



The Bible vividly describes bitter words as arrows (Psalm 64:3), sharp and poisonous as a serpent (Psalm 140:3). James tells us that the tongue is like a fire, ignited by hell itself (James 3:6). How many lives were destroyed as a result of the fiery, manipulative words spoken by Adolf Hitler in the 1930s and early '40s? "Violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked" (Proverbs 10:11b).



"The mouth of the righteous:angel: is a fountain of life" (Proverbs 10:11a). The power of life :angel:and death :devil:is in your tongue. Choose life!



NOTE: Jesus affirmed that "on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned" (Matthew 12:36-37).

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