For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body. (James 3:2, NKJV)
It was my turn to read the ten spelling words aloud to my sixth-grade class. Because I had a speech impediment, reading this word list brought embarrassment. The sneers of children pierced my heart as I mangled the pronunciations.
However, good news came when our small school managed to obtain a speech therapist during that year. She was most kind and sympathetic. She taught me to position my tongue correctly to make the proper sounds. My speech matured through her patient efforts, and I gained greater control of my words.
Likewise, as Christians, we are to gain control of our tongues. Words and how we deliver them have a powerful effect. They can provide healing, comfort, inspiration, encouragement, and empowerment. On the other hand, they can bring discouragement, pain, and destruction. Words are powerful! Due to our sinful nature, they can be weaponised for ill. If we are not careful, what we say can wreak havoc in our families, communities, and even churches. Words of anger, ones that promote gossip, and slanderous words are like a raging fire.
James alludes to how a small fire kindles a much greater one. A single match can set a plush forest ablaze. Therefore, we should not dismiss the nature of speech and its effects. God's word created the heavens and the earth. He spoke, and it came to be from nothing. Our words cannot create life as can God's. Yet, they are not without life. “Death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Prov. 18:21). It can bring harmony and peace, or it can wound and divide.
Our speech can also be duplicitous. We may come to church and praise God in worship. Afterwards, we can demean our children and verbally abuse our spouses. How can we bless God and at the same time injure those He created? The core problem is not the tongue; it's the heart. Our speech merely expresses what is in our hearts.
James compares the size of a ship to its rudder. The rudder is small, and yet it steers the sizeable vessel. Likewise, the tongue is relatively small, yet it can drive the course of one's whole life. However, it is not the rudder that directs the ship but the pilot who turns the rudder. "No man can tame the tongue" (James 3:8). Therefore, we need to pray that the Spirit will pilot it. We must cede control of our will to His divine nature and power. God will then teach us to guard and control the tongue. He will guide the rudder.
My speech therapist did more than teach me how to speak correctly. She freed my heart and eased my shame. As I came to trust her, I yielded myself to her expertise. Trust God! Yield your heart to Him. Pray that your words are a fountain of life. Allow the Lord to tame your tongue!
