“But no one came tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison.” (James 3:8)
An untamed beast makes surprising and unexpected decisions when instinct kicks in, and so does the tongue. What we really think slips out even when we try and control it. In the heat of the moment, or in a thoughtless quip, we say something that we hadn’t properly measured or considered. It will happen – you can’t tame the tongue.
So, if you can’t tame it, you must go deeper. Jesus says that “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45). Our tongue is the spigot, but our heart is the well. Fill your heart with good things – charity, kindness, love, sympathy, grace, mercy, and truth. Overflow the wellsprings of your heart with that which is right, and what will slip out of your untameable tongue will be pure.
The tongue is the symptom; the heart is the thing we must empty of bitterness, selfish ambition, pride and jealousy. If the heart is full of good treasures, the tongue will speak accordingly.
Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites