For the most part, most of us are extremely careful of what we say when we're around other people. In the privacy of of our own thoughts, well, it's sometimes a different story. Things we would not say out loud often percolate in our minds and hearts for days, weeks, months, and even years. Try as hard as we may, there are times when words leave our mouths and before we are through saying them, we wish we could take them back. But like an arrow from a bow, speeding toward its target, words spoken cannot be pulled back. Our culture allow us to make apologies, ask for forgiveness, to retract harmful words, and some of us have learned to graciously accept sincere apologies and retractions, but the fact remain that words uttered at the wrong time, and/or in the wrong place, do have the potential to cause tremendous anger, hurt, and pain.
Isn't is amazing the tongue, such a small member of the body, can do so much good and so much evil? In talking about how great ships driven through rough winds are steered by a very small rudder wherever the steersman desires, James said, "So the tongue also is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how much wood is kindled by how small a fire! And the tongue is a fire: the world of iniquity among our members is the tongue, which defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the wheel of nature, and is set on fire by hell. For every kind of beasts and birds, of creeping things and things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed by mankind: but the tongue can no man tame; it is a restless evil, it is full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we the Lord and Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the likeness of God: out of the same mouth cometh forth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be" (3:5-10). Quite the indictment, huh?
There was no doubt in James' mind; no one can tame his/her tongue. I believe it was this truth that David realized when he prayed, "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my rock, and my redeemer" (Psalm 19:14). Jesus said what comes out of the mouth is a reflection of what's in the heart (Matt. 12:34b). He clearly established the relationship between the heart and the mouth. It stands to reason therefore, that we need God's help to keep the heart's meditations right before Him. The way we think of ourselves, and of things and others around us, determines the way we speak to and of them. We cannot arrive at where we ought to be on the merit of our own efforts because we are incapable of it. Thank God, He stands willing and able to help. We just need to ask Him.
What words are you speaking? How are your heart's meditations? Are they both pleasing to God?
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