James 3:7-8 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
James now moves from illustrations to exaggeration. It is amazing in history to think that people 2000 years ago understood the power of humanity within creation. Today, humanity has total domination over creation in just about every realm of the earth. There is no creature that humanity cannot either control or influence. The affects of humanity upon creation are devastating. It is not hard for us to understand the idea of taming animals. People have all kinds of pets today, from insects to large mammals. James’ comparison of this to the tongue is clear. The tongue cannot be controlled. There is a spiritual reason behind this. What we say is only a reflection of what we think and what is in our hearts. Since the human heart is bent towards self, sin, and influenced by evil (Genesis 6:5), it is to be expected that what people say will reflect this inner problem. It takes the work of God to change the problem. We must allow God to work. James will later tell how we must do that in James 4:8-10: we must humble ourselves in obedient faith. When we put our trust in God and act on that trust, we are tapping into divine resources to help change our broken hearts. Then we must be conscious about what we say and how we say it. Many people do not realize how much affect their words have on the people around them. Words are like fertilizer or poison. They can produce much life and vitality or they can rip apart and destroy.
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