Taming the Tongue

When we speak/deal with each other, let us sincerely believe and pray that, "Lord let me do no harm in what I do, and if I err, let it be on the side of love," then we are doing our best to control ourselves.

Read this passage on "Taming the Tongue"
Now if we put the bits into the horses' mouths so that they may obey us, we direct their entire body as well. Behold, the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder, wherever the inclination of the pilot desires. It only takes a little prayer, and our willingness to let God be in control to keep a great many things in check, and upon the proper course, including ourselves; So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. Behold, how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire!

And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members (other organs in our body) as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell. When we speak forth evilness, we are actually spreading the fires of hell. Would we knowingly work for Satan? I doubt it. But we do every time we speak forth something ungodly. We all need to think more about this, really think about it, that we would focus more of our attention upon the Lord our God. For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed, and has been tamed by the human race.
But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison.

Remember James wrote this nearly 2,000 years ago, and it is just as true today as it was then.

With it (tongue) we bless our Lord and Father; and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; From the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way. Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water? Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Neither can salt water produce fresh.

Therefore, we have to ask ourselves, "Do true believing and loving individuals produce other believing and loving individuals?" And the answer is probably, "Yes!" But then we have to ask ourselves, personally, "Am I, by what I say and do, produce other believing and loving individuals?" And it's as we answer this question, that we come to know whether or not we have learned to tame our tongue.

So James asks us a question, and gives us direction.

Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom.

(Passage from the book of James, The Holy Bible)