Taming our tongues.

James 3:3-6



"When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal.    Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go.  Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.  The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell."

How many times have you said something that you later regretted?  I am no exception.  The Bible warns us that our tongues can get us into some serious trouble in this life.  Our words are powerful, whether spoken for good or evil.  Those words are hard to choose and even harder to control. 

James 3:7-10

"All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind,  but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness.    Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be." 

We are clearly told that we are not able to control our tongues on our own.  Perhaps we can at times, but without the help of God, we will continue to find ourselves wondering why we couldn't make that relationship, job or circumstance turn out the way we wanted.  I know I screw up a lot.  I say things I shouldn't and many times try to tame my tongue on my own.  It doesn't work, at least not for me. 

Proverbs 12:19

"Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment."

When we understand that we must rely on God to help us tame our tongues, our words can endure forever.  We can leave a legacy instead of a gossip chain.  I know a few women that I could only hope to begin to mimic.  Women who truly rely on God to give them the words they use every day when facing reality and relationships.  I'm me.  I'm imperfect and God gets that, but that doesn't mean I don't have a lot of practicing to do until He molds me in to what He wants.  It starts with the ability to choose my words wisely and realize the impact I have on those around me.  I want my lips to be truthful.  And in order to do that, I realize that I need His help every day.  Great thing is...all I need to do is ASK for it.