Taming the Terrible Tongue

On a windswept hill in an English country churchyard stands a drab,  gray slate tombstone. The faint etchings read:

‘Beneath this stone, a lump of clay, lies Arabella Young,
Who, on the twenty-fourth of May, began to hold her tongue.’

Let’s hope that we learn what that woman never did, to tame the tongue! As a wise sage observed, “As you go through life you are going  to have many opportunities to keep your mouth shut. Take advantage  of all of them”

As we move into chapter 3, James has gone from preaching to  meddling! He has just made it clear that genuine faith works. If God  has changed your heart through the new birth, the saving faith that  He granted to you will inevitably show itself in a life of good deeds.  But now he moves from the generality of good deeds to the specifics
of the words that you speak. Genuine faith yields to Christ’s lordship  over your tongue. With David (Ps. 141:3), all true believers will pray,  “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my  lips.”

While the monster may never be totally tamed, if you know  Christ as Savior, you are engaged in the ongoing battle to tame the  terrible tongue.  Just a few thoughts to contemplate.
Ian. Pastor