F-HU Bible Lectureships 1986

Personal Ethics: Control of the Tongue

The entire audience watched breathlessly as the man fearlessly placed his head between the powerful jaws of the lion.  Months of working with and training the beast gave him the confidence and courage needed for such a feat.  Later the crowd was just as spellbound as they watched the elephant trainer lie on the ground beneath the huge foot of his animal.  However, after the show as the two men were seated in a nearby café an argument broke out between them and scorching words were hurled at each other.  The reality of James is seen again.  These two men who had tamed what were among the world’s deadliest animals could not tame their own tongues.  “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 not man tame, it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison” (Jas. 3:7-8).  Peter wrote that the devil is as a roaring lion.  Jesus said the devil is the father of lies.  No wonder we read in James 3:6 that the tongue is a world of iniquity in our human bodies that is set on fire of hell.  The obvious sins of the tongue include such things as profanity, gossip, lying, flattery, boasting and many more evil acts.  Other sins such as covetousness, envy, jealousy and hatred seldom are encountered when the tongue is not enlisted to aid them in their destructive work.  Yet the tongue is capable of the greatest good when used properly.  Solomon wrote that the “pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones” and that a word “fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver” (Prov. 16:24 and 25:11).  We are all aware of the power of our tongues, for we experience that power each day we live.  The question is, how can we control that power and use it for good?

    To control the tongue we must begin with the mind.  After all, this is the source of fuel for our tongues.  Jesus said that it is from the “abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh” (Mt. 12:34) and that man is not defiled by what goes into him but rather by what comes out of his heart (Mt. 15:17-20).  We recognize the fact that a computer only stores information that humans place into it.  So also the output of our mouths depend on the input of our minds.  When we take Paul’s admonition seriously in Philippians 4:8 and store our minds with pure and holy thoughts, the battle of tongue control will be much easier.  Applicable scriptures when memorized can come to mind as a lamp unto our feet and the tongue will be used for good and not harm.  The minds of many, however, are filled with information picked up from television and current top ten songs rather than from spiritual and wholesome thoughts.  Someone has written:  “Be careful of your thoughts, they may break into words at any time.”

    Another area that demands attention for those concerned about controlling the tongue is our emotions.  It is not uncommon for children of God to exercise good control over the tongue all day only to relax at home and snap at a loved one out of repressed emotion from some event of the day.  When we recognize our emotions and do not let them determine our responses we can more easily control our tongues.  It is hard to control the tongue when our life is no longer in our control but rather controlled by our ever changing emotions.  Anger is a natural emotion that is not in and of itself wrong.  Yet James writes that Christians should be slow to wrath because “the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God” (Jas. 1:19-20).  Recognizing and dealing with anger before speaking will be an asset in controlling the tongue.  Fear is a natural emotion that may cause us to say what otherwise would not have been said.  In fear, that voice that pierced the darkness surrounding the fire in the high priest’s courtyard years ago said, “I do not know the man.”  Envy led the people in Jerusalem to cry out, “Crucify Him!”  Listening carefully to others and sorting through emotions before speaking will prevent many sins of the tongue.  If you are lucky, by the time you sort through your emotions it may be too late for your tongue to lead you into trouble.

    James taught that we should be slow to speak.  Consider your words and use God’s word as a guide to the tongue.  Remember that our Judge is at the door (Jas. 5:9).  Every idle word spoken will go before us into judgment before that Judge (Mt. 12:36-37); so let your words “be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man” (Col. 4:6).  If these principles are employed before we speak our words are our words are given thought before being expressed, we will have made great progress in controlling the tongue.

    There is one more point that is vital to any discussion of ethics for daily living and in particular controlling the tongue.  It would only be futile for any child of God to try to keep a pure mind, recognize emotional reactions and carefully choose words when prayer is not a central aspect of his life.  Fervent prayer for wisdom to use our tongues for the glory of God and the encouragement, not destruction, of our fellow man is what makes this discussion work in daily life.  Just as a Christian must not underestimate the power of the tongue, one must not underestimate the power of prayer.  Keeping our communication lines open with the Father will serve as an immeasurable benefit in keeping communication lines clear with our fellow man.

    Prayer in controlling the tongue is also relevant once a word is spoken.  James wrote that in many things we all offend and that if any man “offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bride the whole body” (Jas. 3:2).  Years ago I saw a horse charging across an open field dragging a person behind it.  Rather than let go of the reigns he tried desperately to make it to his feet and bring the horse under control.  Needless to say he failed miserably.  Once a word is spoken it cannot be brought back.  The tongue out of control is hard to contain again.  But we can have divine help.  So when that inevitable time come, that unguarded moment when our tongue unleashes its power for evil, don’t forget to pray.

David Bragg

Anderson, IN

February 1986