NT Journey--James 3

The Problem of the Tongue     

I think James 3 is a very misunderstood chapter.  When we read it at a surface level, we often come away thinking that the message of James 3 is that we should tame our tongue.  However, in verse 8, James writes, "but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison."  Why would James be telling us to tame our tongue when even he admits it's impossible?  So if this isn't the message of James 3, what is?

The answer lies in his analogy of the springs.  Our words are like the water that comes from a flowing spring.  Whatever kind of water is in the spring is what comes out.  If the source of the spring is salt water, salt water will flow.  If the source of the spring is fresh water, fresh water will flow.

In the same way, the words that come out of our mouth are a natural outflow of what's in our hearts.  It's impossible to "tame the tongue."  What is possible is to tame our hearts.  If your heart is full of bitterness, hatred, envy, and pride that's what will come out of your mouth.  If your heart is full of love and encouragement and compassion, loving words will flow from your mouth.

So the key is to work on your heart.  If your heart is duplicitous (nice word, huh?) then you'll sometimes say encouraging things and other times gossip.  If your heart is pure (meaning that it wills only one thing) then your words will always be full of grace.  Instead of the problem, your tongue is an indicator of your inner life.  Get your inner life in order and your tongue will naturally follow.

This is why James moves on to talk about wisdom.  In verses 13 to 18, James expands to other things that indicate what's in your heart.  If in the first 12 verses, James says your tongue reflects what's in your heart, he expands that idea by essentially saying that your actions also reflect what's in your heart.  He says that if you think you're wise, prove it by what you do.

The central message of James 3 is that it's essential to get your inner life straight.  When that happens all the actions and words will follow.  So the solution to continually sticking your foot in your mouth is not to try harder to hold your tongue, but to draw closer to God.  When your heart reflects God's heart, your actions will reflect Jesus' actions.