James 3:7-8 “For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.”

Ugh. Have you ever vowed that you would not say what you wanted to say to someone and then unbeknownst to your conscious mind the very words you have resisted saying come tumbling out? Yep… I had a day like that yesterday. The very thing I didn’t ever want to say to someone I said. There was not one second of gratification in it, there was instantaneous remorse. If I could have grabbed the words in the air I would have and stuffed them back into my mouth but no, instead my sinful words full of this deadly poison came out. ugh. After about 60 seconds of internal disbelief at what I just said I turned to this person I poisoned with my sinful tongue and asked for forgiveness. Of course, I was graciously forgiven… but the memory of my words definitely linger in my mind and most likely linger in the mind to whom I spoke these words.

Two things come to mind as a result of my harshly spoken words:

1. I am so grateful that Jesus died for my sins and that His blood covers these sins. I am much more aware than I was yesterday of my deep, deep need of Jesus. Apart from Christ I would die. I need the power of the gospel in my life. I need God’s amazing, powerful grace to change my heart. I can resist using my tongue for evil only so long before my sinful cravings overcome my desire to remain silent. That is why I need a heart change and I am HOPEFUL because this is what God promises! I am so grateful that God showed me my sin INSTANTLY! It assures me that the Holy Spirit is in me and I can still hear Him. Thank you Jesus!!! I am assured of God’s forgiveness and His continued sanctification!

2. I am newly aware of how I should not be hasty in judging other Christian’s words! I am sure that we all at one time or another say things we wish we didn’t say! I love this following quote by Jonathan Edwards…


“Resolved, To act, in all respects, both speaking and doing, as if nobody had been so vile as I, and as if I had committed the same sins, or had the same infirmities or failings, as others, and that I will let the knowledge of their failings promote nothing but shame in myself, and prove only an occasion of my confessing my own sins and misery to God.”

I hope that when I hear someone sinning with their tongue that instead of judgment and criticism that I would remember my own failings and sinfulness that comes from my mouth and seek God’s mercy for my own tongue!

Can anyone related to me today?