“Observations On Our Tongues”

James 3:10 (NCV)

Praises and curses come from the same mouth!
My brothers and sisters, this should not happen.

The tongue can either build things up or tear them down. It is a beast that is too frequently out of control. As Christians we are admonished to tame that beast and rather than inflicting wounds use it to build the Kingdom of God. Here we examine practical observations for controlling our tongues.

1. THE TONGUE IS SMALL BUT POWERFUL.
James speaks of the power of the tongue. Just like the bit in the mouth of a horse that guides its entire body, or the small rudder on a large ship that directs the ship even in a powerful storm, so the tongue even though it’s a small part of our body is perhaps the most powerful part.

2. THE TONGUE IS SMALL BUT DANGEROUS.
“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” Whoever said that couldn’t have been more wrong! Broken bones heal much quicker than the wounds that are left by an out of control tongue. We’ve all been hurt by the words of others and we’ve all hurt others with our words. I’d rather have someone slap me than to have them talk about me. I can get over the pain of the physical injury but the pain inflicted by the tongue is hard to heal from.

3. THE TONGUE IS SMALL BUT REVEALING.
James points out that just as fresh water doesn’t come from salt water, and olives don’t come from fig trees, blessings can not come from the same mouth that curses come from. People know what’s in you by what comes out of you! I can tell you what’s in your heart by listening to your speech. James’ main thought is that the tongue has a way of revealing who we really are. It’s impossible to hide it. Keep an eye on your tongue, or...

“Watch your mouth...”
Bro C