We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.
James 3:2
This verse teaches that mastering your tongue is so incredibly difficult that if you were actually able to pull it off, if you were able to never sin by what you say, then you would have the self-control to achieve perfection in every way. You would be able to "keep your whole body in check." Of course, this passage also tells us in verse 8 that no one can completely tame their tongue. So, no one actually does have that level of self-control.
But it does raise an interesting question. Can our speech be used as a general measure of our self-control and spiritual maturity? If someone had to judge your spiritual maturity based solely on what you say, what would they conclude?
Evaluate yourself. Here's a list of "sins of the tongue" that some friends and I came up with. I am sure I missed some, but I never realized there were so many ways to sin just by talking!
- Slander
- Gossip
- Lying
- Arrogant or Self-promoting talk
- Filthy Language
- Coarse Joking
- Perverse Talk
- Abusive Language (i.e. venting of anger or hatred)
- Dishonoring your father or mother
- Taking the Lord's name in vain
- Tempting others to sin
- False Teaching
- Approving of sin
How did you fare? Since no man can tame the tongue completely, I am guessing that like me you see some room for improvement. And maybe this verse gives you a good reason to make a concerted effort to do so. Maybe those of us who really want to grow closer to the Lord and who want to conform more into the image of Christ in all areas of our lives should consider starting here. What better way to begin developing the self-control necessary to "keep our whole bodies in check" than to begin reining in our tongues? Make this your prayer today.
Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips. (Ps. 141:3)
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