By Daniel Darling

Matthew 12:34,  James 3:1-12 (see complete text below)

“I shouldn’t have said that,” I said, “I’m not sure where that came from.” I had just expressed my frustration at someone after a long, hard week.

“That’s not you, Dan,” he said. But, honestly, that was me. Not the “me” I hoped other people thought I was, but the “me” I really am.

The Scriptures tell us that our tongues have a pipeline directly from our hearts. We only speak what we feel. Sure, we can cover up our true feelings with nice-sounding words, at times, but over the long course of life, who we really are gets spilled out in words.

I’m learning that a speech problem is not really a problem of picking the right words or not getting mad or not reacting adversely. A speech problem is really a heart problem.

James chapter three goes to the heart of evil speech. He reminds us that the tongue, in it’s natural state, is the source of all evil. He actually says that the source of the tongues vitriol goes even deeper than that. An evil tongue is fueled by the flames of Hell (James 3:6).

This seems a bit over-the-top, doesn’t it? But really this is good news. You see, there is something more wrong with us than simply bad words. We have a heart problem. Our hearts are corrupted, our tongues poisoned by sin. When Adam and Even fell, the entire human race was injected with the poison of Satan, the venom of evil.

So every single human being is born with a powerfully evil tongue. And it’s a tongue that James says, “no man can tame” James 3:7. Again, more bad news.

Except it was bad hearts Jesus came to rescue. In his death and resurrection, Jesus crushed that serpent and delivered the antidote for the venom of sin. So if you are a follower of Jesus, you no longer have to be a slave to an out-of-control tongue, fueled by a corrupt heart, fed by the flames of Hell.

Jesus tamed your tongue. And now, by submitting to His Spirit in repentance, you can begin to see that tongue used for good rather than evil. You see, the gospel message doesn’t say, “Keep your mouth shut.” No, God designed our tongues to be powerful. But instead of leading people to evil, instead of cutting and wounding, our tongues can be reservoirs of life, springs of gospel-soaked words that lift, rebuke, encourage, disciple, and love.

If you’re not a Christian, I would gently tell you that you’re only hope for improved speech is to admit your sinfulness and accept the cleansing grace of Jesus on the cross. And if you are a believer, you can find the grace to overcome a forked tongue. By daily repentance and cleansing, the Spirit can turn a tongue of evil into a tongue of good.

Because you’re words will never improve unless you admit that it’s not really your tongue that’s the problem.

It’s your heart.

Matthew 12:34 You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

James 3:1-12

Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2 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.

3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4 Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5 Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.