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Episode 6
TONGUE (PART 2)
Welcome back everyone. Today we’re continuing with Part 2 on the issue of our tongue. In Part 1, we talked about the need for us to guard our tongue because our tongue is accountable, our tongue is powerful, and finally, our tongue is inconsistent.
Let me talk about our tongue as being inconsistent followed by some application for our reflection and action.
III Our Tongue is Inconsistent
Listen to what James said in chapter 3 verse 9 and 10:
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. Isn’t that what we struggle with as well? We speak words that are godly and encouraging. And in the next moment, we speak unwholesome words to ourselves, to others or about others. And this is true especially when we are under pressure, when we are angry, when we are hurt or offended, our tongue can bring out the worst in us.
However, James gives us a clue that on the surface it looks like that the pressure of life brings out the evil of our tongue, but it is way deeper than that. Listen to what he says in verse 11 and 12: Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.
Question: Why can’t the same spring produce fresh and salt water? Why can’t a fig tree produce olives? Why? Because that’s just the way it is. It’s nature. In other words, what is being produced is determined by what the source or nature is. So, if the source or the nature of the spring is fresh water, it will produce fresh water. If the source or the nature of the tree is fig, it will produce figs.
Now, what’s the connection of this analogy with the tongue? The answer is simply this. What is being produced by our tongue is determined by the source or the nature we have. And the source or the nature of what our tongue produces is the condition of our heart.
So, if the source or the nature of our heart is whole, it will produce wholesome words. And if the source or the nature of our heart is unwholly, it will produce unwholesome words.
Did you realize that James is simply reiterating what Jesus said, recorded for us in Luke 6:45? Jesus said, the mouth speaks out of what the heart is full of. What you say flows from the condition of your heart.
The content of our mouth reflects the condition of our heart. Our tongue is interconnected, intertwined with our heart.
APPLICATION
Now, let me suggest three applications in response to the three things we learnt about our tongue. Or, three ways to respond in relation to guarding our tongue so that our tongue can become an instrument of bringing hope and life in the midst of a world gone wrong. They are I) Pause II) Ponder III) Pray
I Pause to Repent and Forgive
People are like bank accounts. When you are careful with your words and speak lovingly, you are depositing in their accounts. But when you are careless with your words and speak unlovingly, you are withdrawing from their accounts. With your words, you can either deposit or withdraw.
Question: Are you depositing or withdrawing? Who are you withdrawing from? Perhaps your loved ones or your friends or colleagues?
My dear brothers and sisters, we need to repent from the sin of withdrawing from people around us through our harsh, unruly, unkind and unloving speech, whether online or offline, words that bring about death, instead of life.
So, learn to pause to repent and forgive.
II Ponder on Jesus – His life and His Words
When Jesus was taken into the wilderness He was tempted to sin. The devil spoke to Jesus telling Him that He has the power in His own words to command anything for Himself. And Jesus was truly tempted because He was hungry and tired, but Jesus responded to the devil by using God’s Words.
When a man possessed by a demon came out of the synagogue, Jesus spoke directly to the demon, commanded him to come out of the man. To which the demon obeyed and the man was set free. People who saw what happened said what is this man, by what authority or words does he command the unclean spirit and they obey. Jesus used liberating words.
That night when Jesus was in the garden, kneeling down on the ground, with sweat dripping down from his body, being aware that very soon He is going to bear the holy wrath of God, which is not even against Him but against you and me – our sins. The sin of our thoughts, the sin of our actions and the sin of our tongue – all these were poured out in the cup of suffering upon Him. Overwhelmed by that weight of sin He is going to bear, Jesus prayed, Father if you are willing, remove this cup from Me, nevertheless not my will but Yours be done. Jesus spoke obedient words.
When on the Cross, after all our sins have been laid on Him, before He gave up His spirit, Jesus said something that saved each one of our lives; He said: It is finished! Jesus used redeeming words.
My dear fellow brothers and sisters and friends, ponder on Jesus – ponder His life for your life; ponder His words for your words. Remember in verse 10 James said: Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.
Question: What should it be then? The answer is, Jesus. His life and His words are the picture of what it should be in and for our lives.
III Pray for the Holy Spirit’s Filling
Before Jesus ascended into heaven, He promised the disciples a Helper by the name of the Holy Spirit. After the resurrection of Jesus, the disciples were gathered at one place waiting upon the promise, when the sound of a violent wind came from heaven, and what looked like tongues of fire came upon them and they were filled with the Holy Spirit.
Do you remember what happened when they were filled by the Holy Spirit? From their mouth, they began to speak another tongue. The Holy Spirit gave them the power to speak another language to speak about the wonders of God.
We may not need to know and speak in another tongue. But what we do need is when we open our mouth to speak, what we speak is good and pleasing before God and others. Do you remember what James said in verse 8? He said this: No human being can tame the tongue. He is right. And that is why we need the Holy Spirit; we need to be filled by the Holy Spirit.
So, pray to the Holy Spirit and ask Him to do what He does – i.e. to help us. Pray to the Holy Spirit and ask Him to give what He has – i.e. His power in our tongue. So that, when we speak, the fruit of our words is loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, gentle, self-control. So pray to Holy Spirit to help us and fill us each day with His power in our tongue.
Conclusion
Sometimes the only thing left for us to give each other is words. And perhaps we are already living in that time. So let us not be stingy but be generous with our words to each other, whether verbally, or text messages or via social media.
But not any kind of words. Rather, hopeful, loving, kind, caring, affirming, encouraging, obedient, liberating, redeeming words – let’s be generous with such words for it can save many of our lives today. God can use them to bring life to somebody today.
Who are the people in your life that you can bless through your words? Who are they? Go and bless them. And in return you too will be blessed. For God has given to all of us, this teeny tiny tongue, your tongue and my tongue that can become a glorious instrument that brings hope in a hopeless situation, light amidst darkness, strength amidst weakness, comfort amidst sorrow, life amidst death – with your tongue and with my tongue. Amen!
The next issue that I will talk about is on conflict. Until then, stay safe and stay tuned. God bless you!
Word count: 1,457
Discussion Questions