Diseases of the Tongue

“If a sudden jar can cause me to speak an impatient, unloving word, then I know nothing of Calvary’s love, for a cup brimful of sweet water cannot spill even one drop of bitter water, however suddenly jolted.” by Amy Carmichael


In the world of medicine there are many problems connected to diseases of the tongue. Unfortunately spiritually the issues with the tongue are no different. If left unchecked it can cause many diseases inside our own lives and out. James long ago addressed this very as he said, “But no man can tame the tongue, it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My breathren these things ought not to be so. Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening?” James 3:8-11.

Before making that statement he had already talked about the fact that, “If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man able to bridle the whole body.” He warned his reading audience and those around him that the tongue had the ability to defile the whole body and could even set on fire the course of nature. James knew then what we know now that any animal can be tamed but no man can tame the tongue.

“No man” can tame the tongue well that pretty much ends that argument doesn’t it? After all why should we even bother to try if no one is able to tame the tongue? Isn’t that our excuse to continue to say what we want to say in whatever manner we choose to say it in? Wrong! Our Bible buddy Paul addressed that issue back in Romans when he talked about God’s love and grace wasn’t a license to go on sinning.

There’s no doubt about it, we are going to stumble and perhaps even fall in the task of taming our tongue. Try as we might we are a long ways away from that “perfect” man or woman mark we need to be aiming for. Downfalls in this area don’t mean we don’t know anything about Calvary’s love rather it taps us on the shoulder to tell us it’s time to return to it. Frequent trips to the foot of the cross to sit and meditate on what God’s love is all about is needed to refuel us for the next journey or situation down life’s roads.

We need to stop playing trivial pursuit and start to claim the wonderful victory won at Calvary on our behalf. Instead of doing what they call “majoring in the minors (spilled milk, traffic jams, broken nails) we need to major in the major things in life that truly count such as our walk with Christ.

The choice is ours on whether we are going to use our tongue to praise the Lord or curse man. Cuss at the world or thank God for the world. Yell at others or encourage those around us. Cry out negatively or sing joyfully unto the Lord. Use it to express ingratitude or verbalize our thankfulness unto God.

For such a small orifice big things can come from it. It’s up to us to decide what we want it to be. We can’t have it both ways no matter how hard we try. The choice starts in our hearts and the end results will be demonstrated in our mouths. We shouldn’t have to be tongue tied in order to control it if we would only connect it with our heart that’s associated with Calvary’s love. Indeed God’s cure for diseases of the tongue. Amen? Amen!!

Instead of opening our mouth to insert our foot let’s open our heart and insert God.

© 2009 Karen J. Gillett @ Pencil Marks and Recipes Publishing