James 3:5-8 “Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.”

In my studies this morning I was reading in James. James is a book of the Bible that is complex for it covers two ages; the Church Age and the Tribulation period. I remind the reader that all the Bible is written to us (to learn from), but not all is written for us (for actual practice). As I read in James 3, I was reading about the qualifications for being a master (a leader, teacher, or preacher). It covers a topic I wish I had known all my preaching career. Warren W. Wiersbe spoke of the following when referring to the tongue.

“The size of a thing does not determine its value or power. The tongue is a little member in the body, but it can cause great destruction. How the tongue loves to boast! (Of course, what the tongue says comes from the heart: Matthew 12:34-35.) “How great a matter a little fire kindleth!” (James 3:5) Each year, many thousands of acres of timber are lost because of careless campers or smokers.

“A little flame can set a whole forest on fire. The tongue is a flame: it can, through lies and gossip and heated words, set a whole family or church on fire. See Proverbs 16:27. And the “soot” from the fire can defile everybody involved. When the Spirit came at Pentecost, there were cloven tongues of fire from heaven to enable the Christians to witness; but it is also possible for the tongue to be “set on fire from hell” (James 3:6). James also compares the tongue to a fierce and poisonous beast that cannot be tamed. No man can tame the tongue; only God can control it through His Spirit. The tongue is restless, unruly (that is, it cannot be ruled). What poison it can spread! A spiritual tongue is medicine (Proverbs 12:18)” Wiersbe His thoughts are exactly what I have observed. When I was a young preacher, my uncompromising stand and how I expressed it caused problems with individuals in the Church. I was right and the Bible was and is Truth, yet how I passed this knowledge on was more like a bull in a china shop that a man of compassion trying to lead souls to Christ.

Taming the tongue is a constant task in our lives. It required our constant supervision. Henry Ford had this quote: “Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is the probable reason why so few engage in it. – Henry Ford, 1929 I laughed when I found it, but if we really analyze what he said, we find that we indeed should “Think before we speak.” As a young preacher, I was always in a hurry to defend the Scriptures. In many instances, although right, I was not effective. My tongue said things that I regret even to this day.

J. Vernon McGee reminds us that we have two ears and only one mouth, which should mean we should listen twice as much as we speak. He also tells us that our mouth is better suited for eating than for speaking, yet we use it more for the latter than for the former.

I wish I had the space to include the entire lyrics from Joe Jones’s 1970’s hit song: “You Talk Too Much.” I’ll include the first two verses. Look up the rest for it hits the nail on the head. “You talk too much; You worry me to death; You talk too much; You even worry my pet. You talk about people; That you don’t know; You talk about people; Wherever you go. You just talk…Talk too much.”

I am going to close with a quote by Solomon, the wisest man in the world. Ecclesiastics 5:2 “Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.”