Can Your Tongue Stay Still
When a tongue wont stay still, its generally a sign the person is lacking in energy, says Dr Roberts. But the intention was always to make the remaining teeth look straighter, not to give my tongue more playspace. Dr Roberts maintains that a caged-in tongue makes eventually for a caged-in person.
What Is The Power Of A Gentle Tongue
A gentle tongue will rebuke at times, never out of pique, but always for the good of the hearer. Words from a friend pointing out a fault will hurt, but they come from faithful love. The gentle tongue instructs, speaking wisdom, with words that fit each situation, like apples of gold in a silver setting.
What Does The Bible Say About Not Speaking
There are a few different verses in the Bible that talk about not speaking. For example, in Psalm 39:1, it says I will guard my mouth with a muzzle, and in Proverbs 10:19, it says When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.
Generally speaking, the Bible seems to suggest that we should be careful about what we say because our words can often do more harm than good. In fact, Jesus Himself said in Matthew 12:36-37 that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you
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Christian Leaders Should Be Held To A Higher Standard
Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body.
James 3:12
Leadership is a heavy burden and great responsibility. Leaders will be judged by their peers, the people they leadeveryone makes mistakesbut when someone in an influential position says something wrong it affects more than just themselves
Theyre sending out negative messages that can have lasting effects on others
A leader is one who has been called by God to guide, teach, and lead others in the ways of Christ. They must always be careful with every word they speak because it reflects on them as representatives for Jesus Christ Himself.
God requires leaders that will stand up against sin while promoting purity among believers these people have a responsibility towards both Gods kingdom goals and the people they lead.
James is telling us that our voices can be more dangerous than any other weapon. We should err on the side of caution when it comes to using them, because they have really clout and power in what we say! Taming the tongue removes a weapon that can hurt others.
Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger
James 1:19
What The Bible Says About Taming The Tongue And How To Do It
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Taming the tongue is an important theme in scripture. With our tongues, we can speak to build others up or we can speak to tear them down. We can speak truth, or we can speak lies. Occasionally we say the wrong thing, even without meaning to or, we simply fail to say the right thing.
The childhood adage Sticks and stones may break my bones but words can be powerful weapons that can motivate or destroy someone.
The Bible is filled with warnings about the power of our tongue. It can be both a blessing and curse because it holds great potential, but we must use wisdom in handling this small part of us wisely!
James warns us of the potential evil influence of the tongue.
When we speak without thinking, it can feel as if our mouths arent really under control. Sometimes the words come out before you decide whether or not they should be said-and when this happens theres no way to take them back! This is just one example of the importance of taming the tongue.
You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
Matthew 12:34
Lets break this down a bit:
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How To Tame The Tongue According To The Bible
The tongue can only be tamed by the power of God. We cannot purposefully choose to glorify God in our own strength. Nor can we purposefully chose to honor God with our words by using enough willpower. Taming the tongue only comes from the Lord. Through the enabling of the Holy Spirit we learn to control our tongue by choosing not to talk with unwholesome words. Crass language, ugly humor, and cuss words are not for the believer to use. It is through the Holy Spirit that we can learn to bridle our tongue, and to guard the words we use and when we use them. We also grow in sanctification this way by choosing to speak words that edify instead of words that reflect anger and sin.
21)James 3:8 But the tongue can no man tame it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
22)Ephesians 4:29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
23)Proverbs 13:3 Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life, he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.
24)Psalm 19:14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.
25)Colossians 3:8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.
26)Psalm 141:3 Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth keep watch over the door of my lips!
The Wrong Use Of The Tongue
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Who Receives This Spiritual Gift
It is expressed in the Bible that not all believers will receive this gift: God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 1 Corinthians 12:28-30. We can see here that only some will receive the gift to speak in tongues, just as only some are called to be apostles, etc.
As with all gifts of the Spirit, the speaking of tongues is not necessarily a sign of spiritual maturity. Many of the Corinthians spoke in tongues but Paul states that they were babes in Christ. However, when used in an orderly and appropriate manner, it can be used to build up the individual and other members of the body of Christ.
Psalms About Taming The Tongue
I absolutely love the Book of Psalms! It is filled with so much wisdom, including scripture about keeping guard over our mouth!
James was right when he said no one could tame the tongue, but if you only listen to James words, controlling your tongue may seem like an impossible task. But all is not lost. We may not be able to control the tongue, but we know Someone who can! This should be our daily prayer:
- Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth keep watch over the door of my lips! Psalm 141:3 ESV
Instead of using our tongues to dismantle and destroy, lets use them to praise the Lord. If we spend enough time praising God, we wont have any left to speak destructive words.
- The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice. Psalm 37:30 ESV
- Then my tongue shall tell of your righteousness and of your praise all the day long. Psalm 35:28 ESV
Words are powerful. As Christians, we must understand the power of the tongue and meditate on these Bible verses about taming the tongue so that we always use our words to build others up and speak life into them!
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What The Bible Says About The Tongue
As Children of God, our tongues have a lot of power. Proverbs 18:21 confirms this by saying, Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits. Proverbs 13:3 Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.Aug 5, 2016.
The Deadly Inconsistency That Plagues The Tongue
James is not yet finished with his devastating analysis of the tongue. He draws attention to a fourth characteristic as the analysis now rises to a crescendo of exposure:
No human being can tame the tongue. . . . With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.
I am reminded of the old cowboy-and-Indian movies my parents used to take me to when I was a child. There is only one line I recall an Indian ever speaking, but it was so frequently repeated it became engraved as one of my earliest memories of childhood: White man speak with forked tongue. It was meant as, and really was, a damning indictment.
James shared that perspective but brought to it a more profound analysis: Forked tongue connected to forked heart. Such speech is a mark of the double-minded man who is unstable in all his ways . It is not an amiable weakness. It expresses a damnable contradiction in our very being. It is an ought not to be, like a spring that spouts forth both fresh and salt water. It is more contradictory than anything we find in nature, like a fig tree bearing olives, a grapevine producing figs, a salt pond yielding fresh water.
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Keep Your Thoughts In Line But Only God Can Tame The Tongue
For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
James 3:78
Your tongue may have eight muscles that control the way it moves and what sounds it makes. It helps you to form words, but no matter how hard you try to control the tongue you will never have complete control of the words that it creates or utters. Taming the tongue requires the Holy Spirit.
Jesus Law, we need to keep our thoughts in line, as well, not just our actions. His point isnt to give us more rules that we need to follow. His point is that we cant overcome sin by our own power. We need Him. We need God. And that goes for hoping to tame the tongue, as well.
You have heard that it was said to those of old, You shall not murder and whoever murders will be liable to judgment. But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment whoever insults[ his brother will be liable to the council and whoever says, You fool! will be liable to the hell of fire.
Matthew 5:2122
God is the only one who can keep our tongues in check. We need to continually submit ourselves to God and hand him the reins. Taming the tongue comes only from Him.
The Destruction Caused By The Tongue
Now, third, a series of vivid pictures flashes rapidly across Jamess mind as he thinks about the power of the tongue.
A Fire . A small fire can destroy an entire forest all it takes is an uncontrolled spark. So it is with the tongue. A sharp word, a loose sentence, a callous aside can cause a conflagration that cannot be extinguished. Words can consume and destroy a life.
James is very specific about the energy source for such destruction. The tongue that sets on fire is set on fire itself by hell. James uses the biblical term Gehenna the background reference being to the Valley of Hinnom on the southern outskirts of Jerusalem. It served as the city dump hence the reference to fire which presumably constantly burned there to destroy garbage .
Vocal holiness includes both gracious speech and silence.
Was this the place to which our Lords body would have been taken were it not for the thoughtfulness of Joseph of Arimathaea? If so, it is difficult not to share with James a sense of disgust. It is from such a hell that destructive words arise. Remember that imagery whenever similar words seek to force their way out of your mouth.
Of course, all this is naturally true of the unregenerate man. The tragedy is and it is this tragedy that surely concerns James here that the same destructive powers may be released within the believing community.
The young Jonathan Edwards penned a number of his Resolutions around this theme. They are worth noting:
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The Power Of The Tongue Bible Verses
If we use our words in a sinful manner, they can injure others and leave scars that can cripple a person for their entire life. Other words can help people feel better and even bring healing. The very words of a person can change the course of entire nations. There is immense power in something so simple and small as our tongue. We are commanded to wield this power wisely. God desires for us to use our tongue to bring Him glory, to edify others, and to proclaim the Gospel to everyone.
7)Proverbs 21:23 Whoever watches his mouth and tongue keeps himself from trouble.
8)James 3:3-6 The tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.
9)Proverbs 11:9 Evil words destroy ones friends wise discernment rescues the godly.
10)Proverbs 15:1 A gentle answer turns away wrath, but hard words stir up anger.
11)Proverbs 12:18 There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
12)Proverbs 18:20-21 From the fruit of their mouth a persons stomach is filled with the harvest of their lips they are satisfied. The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
Speaking In Tongues As A Sign For Unbelievers
There is another reason the gift of tongues is given: In the law it is written: With men of other tongues and other lips I will speak to this people And yet, for all that, they will not hear Me, says the Lord. Therefore tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers. 1 Corinthians 14:21-22. In this way, it could benefit those who attend a gathering but have not yet committed their life to Christ.
There are also occurrences in the book of Acts in which people who were baptized with the Holy Spirit spoke in tongues at the same time. This occurred most notably on the day of Pentecost when the baptism of the Holy Spirit was given for the first time, though it did also occur at other times . However there is nothing written that these two always are to occur together.
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Our Words Create A Disproportionate Impact
That is to say, the size of the tongue, or the size of a few simple words, stands in stark contrast to the size of the trouble they can cause . In the same way a small bit guides a horse or a rudder turns a giant ship, a seemingly insignificant word can shape the course of a persons life. How often do we hear reports of a politician or celebrity being caught off guard near a hot mic? After delivering an inspiring speech, they make a flippant remark that is picked up by a mic they thought had been turned off. The microphone captures their offensive comment, and someone broadcasts it to the whole world via the Internet. A few unguarded words unravel all the good accomplished in the preceding speech. But there is a positive side of disproportionality too. Just as a single unkind or unguarded word can hurt, a single kind or complimentary word can heal. Disproportionality works both ways.