But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord
Joshua 24:15
But no human being can tame the tongue.
James 3:8
A preschooler was attempting to remember a verse she had heard her parents recite over and over again – from Joshua 24:15 – “as for me and my house we will serve the Lord”. But in her Sunday morning presentation to her Bible class teacher, the verse came out, “as for me and my mouth we will serve the Lord.”
Although she misquoted Joshua 24:15, she was spot on with the teachings of the Scriptures concerning the necessary self-control over our words. In the epistle of James, we discover a daunting description of one’s tongue: “no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.”
James’ horrific description of the tongue does not indicate that no one can practice self-control with the tongue. Rather, the emphasis rests in the fact that without God’s intervention the tongue is indeed a restless evil. Much damage has been brought to pass by the simple slip of the tongue. The idea of a restless evilindicates that which is unruly and without restraint. The imagery of the tongue “full of deadly poison” presents the allusion of a serpent’s bite and the destructive impact against an otherwise healthy life. One writer has said, the venomous tongue of the slanderer can be destructive for the human life that was once at peace.
The context of James’ description of the tongue continues with the damaging effects:
With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. (James 3:9-10)
James warns of the obvious hypocrisy of praising God and cursing man with the same mouth. Our words must come under the scrutiny of God’s Holy Spirit. If not, the risk is great, for the tongue is evil and full of deadly poison. And one single destructive word spoken can seemingly tarnish one’s lifelong witness.
Today, the tongue and the evil it promotes in its uncontrollable state, can be equaled by the carelessness of what one types – meaning, what one posts on social media before the world. So, every child of God must be careful to watch their words (spoken or posted). The next time you feel the inclination to say something that is not edifying, ask yourself this question: “how can I praise God and speak ill of another who has been created in the image of God?”
Today, let’s resolve with that little preschooler, who was much more correct than she realized: “as for me and my mouth we will serve the Lord.” Today, don’t praise God in song without resolving to make every word that comes from your mouth equally edifying to others and glorifying to God.
Blessings.
