HOLD YOUR TONGUE

I am reading the Book of James in the New Testament during my
devotional time. I have read this book many times over the years and it never fails to speak directly to me. For being one of the shorter books in the New Testament, it sure packs a punch. One area in my life that I'm always getting "punched" about is controling my tongue. There are many passages of Scripture that speak about this which tells me that it is a serious matter. In the first chapter of James, verses 19-20 say, "My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires." And verse 26 of the same chapter says, "If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless." James continues to address this issue in Chapter 3, comparing the effect of the tongue with the effect of a bit in a horse's mouth, the effect of a rudder on a ship and the effect of a small spark in a great forest: "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 person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell." Whew! The evil that comes out of our mouths is lying, boasting, slander, gossip, lewd and foul talk, cursing, mean and spiteful words, and deceitful, misleading talk. We all know what kind of an effect these things can have on a person. James goes on in verse 9 to say, "With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be."

Ephesians 4:29 tells us: "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." This is very convicting to me...and a very tall order, one I'm not very successful at achieving. I need help. Where do I begin? James, again, comes through in Chapter 1, verse 5: "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." I ask God to help me and He directs me in His Word to examine myself (2 Cor. 13:5) and to "take every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ" (2 Cor. 10:5). "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting" (Ps. 139:23-24). Scary prayer, but a necessary one..."For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks" (Mt. 12:34). I don't know about you, but I don't get the warm fuzzies when I examine the contents of my heart. Mercifully for me, when I ask God to examine my heart and reveal any offensiveness, He doesn't dump the whole load on me at once. He gently shows me one or two things at a time that I need to 'fess up to and I ask Him to forgive me and then help me to overcome that sin through the power of His Holy Spirit in me. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).

Today my prayer is the lyrics of the worship song we sang in church on Sunday:
Purify my heart; touch me with Your cleansing fire. Take me to the Cross, Your holiness is my desire. Breathe Your life in me; kindle a love that flows from Your throne. O purify my heart...purify my heart.
Purify my heart, Lord...and wash my mouth out in the process. Thank You, Father.