Self-Control 2

James 3:9-10

It wasn’t until I was a high school freshman that I realized teachers are human. I saw one of my English teachers, one who was always so prim and proper, wearing jeans. Oh, my goodness! Jeans! How could it be that someone so dignified and well-dressed all the time could wear something so casual?

My experience was just part of growing up and I can see now how silly the whole ordeal was. But sometimes the Christian believer can present two faces, and one of them might shock other people.

James mentions controlling the tongue in James 1:26, but also has a great deal to say about taming the tongue in the third chapter. What do we do with our tongues? According to verse 10, what comes out of our mouths?

Many examinations of what James has to say about taming the tongue centers around gossip. Gossip is certainly one of the sins that is very easy to fall into and a sin so often overlooked among Christians. But I believe James’ warnings go far beyond mere gossip.

While it is bad enough that we share stories and lies and rumors behind the backs of others, the attitudes we may express with our mouths can be even worse. On one hand we offer praise to God. We thank God for the gift of salvation and we give honor to our heavenly Father in song and prayer.

But on the other hand we utter curses and oaths against other people, those we are angry with and those we don’t like. As James says, “this should not be.”

If we will live out the life of a Christian then we need to exercise some control over what we say. And our control needs to be over not just the words that we use but our attitudes as well.

If we will be Christians then our attitudes, expressed in the words and tones we use, should show mercy and love and not prejudice and hatred. We should not express judgments and condemnation of others, but be welcoming and gentle in all that we do and say. We must remember that other people are also children of God, made in God’s likeness, and we should treat them with respect and care.

DAILY CHALLENGE: Are there words that need to be removed from your vocabulary? What about your attitude in saying certain things?