As a child have you ever tried to hold onto a tree branch for an extended period of time, and just let your body dangle above the ground? On the monkey bars at school, how long could your grip last before you finally had to let go? Maybe a minute or two at most? You may have wanted to hold on even longer but because of the force of gravity pulling down on your body your hands just could not hold on any longer and you had to let go. You became just too tired and your strength ran out.
The tongue of a person is similar, or rather, the use of their speech, because when someone speaks it is only a matter of time before something escapes from their lips that they shouldn’t have said. A phrase that most of us have probably heard is “bite your tongue!” which has the meaning that you should stop talking about something that you shouldn’t be saying.
Without the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit we can’t control our speech. We will say things which we probably shouldn’t, or use our speech in manners which are foolish or are harmful to others. And the tongue is such a small part of the body, yet it can do so much harm when it is misused, which unfortunately can be all too frequent sometimes. We learn from the Scriptures that the control of the tongue is something that no one can accomplish without the help of the Holy Spirit.
James 3:2-12 For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.
Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.
Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth.
Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!
And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.
For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:
But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.
Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?
Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.
James said it so well when he says that with the tongue people can praise God, yet later use that same tongue to curse men. It’s just not right and shouldn’t happen, and this is why the Holy Spirit is needed. Only through the help of the Holy Spirit can someone control their speech. When we speak, let our speech be “seasoned with the salt” of the Holy Spirit.
Colossians 4:6 Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.
Don’t let your tongue be used to speak evil, but speak good. Use your speech to edify others and build them up. Let your speech be used to praise the Lord, with the help of the Spirit.
In Christ
Andrew
Teufer Lake King James Bible Church 