Today we read about the tongue. The tongue, it is said, is the worst member of the church. No one can tame it (v. 8). While lions and snakes can be tamed, the tongue cannot. We often give the tongue a pass. When we are angry, upset, (or for some hungry!) we will say something and then say, "Oh, I didn’t mean what I said.” Yet God tells us that it is out of our heart that the mouth speaks (Matt 12:34). The tongue can do great harm. Yes it is small, but like a small rudder on a great ship, it controls much. James also calls out the hypocrisy of blessing God with our tongue and then cursing people, who are made in the image of God (v. 9). This is very common and should not be. So we must seek to not just tame our tongue but change our hearts. And that can be done only with the gospel of Christ in the power of the Spirit. The tongue reveals the state of our heart. Yes, we all need to grow to be conformed more to the image of Christ. But how is your tongue? What is it revealing about your heart? Are you using your tongue to glorify God in the church? Or are you using your tongue to set ablaze issues in the church and with others? May the Lord be with you.
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