Controlling Your Tongue

James 3:2-12 says:
"We all make mistakes in all kinds of ways, but the man who can claim that he never says the wrong thing can consider himself perfect, for if he can control his tongue he can control every other part of his personality! Men control the movements of a large animal like a horse with a tiny bit placed in its mouth. Ships too, for all their size and the momentum they have with a strong wind behind them, are controlled by a very small rudder according to the course chosen by the helmsman. The human tongue is physically small, but what tremendous effects it can boast of! A whole forest can be set ablaze by a tiny spark of fire, and the tongue is as dangerous as any fire, with vast potentialities for evil. It can poison the whole body; it can make the whole of life a blazing hell.
Beasts, birds, reptiles and all kinds of sea creatures can be, and in fact are, tamed by man, but no one can tame the human tongue. It is an evil always liable to break out, and the poison it spreads is deadly. We use the tongue to bless our Father, God, and we use the same tongue to curse our fellow man, who are all created in God's likeness. Blessing and curses come out of the same mouth-surely, my brothers, this is the sort of thing that never ought to happen! Have you ever known a spring to give sweet and bitter water simultaneously? Have you ever seen a fig tree with a crop of olives, or seen figs growing on a vine? It is just as impossible for a spring to give fresh and salt water at the same time."

We have all felt the poison of the tongue, we have all delivered the poison of the tongue. Gossip is far too salacious for us to control. Once it enters into our ears it goes straight to our tongue. An angry feeling usually exits our body via our tongue. A jealous heart starts the tongue to wagging. How can we overcome the evil of the tongue? Perhaps a grateful heart will still the tongue. Perhaps a forgiving heart will bridle the tongue and render its poison useless. We must practice the control of our tongues. Often it means engaging our minds during conversation. We have all said things we wish had never crossed our lips for we can see the poison at work. Pray for forgiveness, be eager to forgive and for all things be grateful and thank God. We are all created in God's likeness, let the things we say be in God's likeness as well.