If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. James 1:26 (NLT)
Taming our tongue should be for a reason more noble and beneficial than keeping it from getting us into trouble. The ultimate goal should be to harness it’s power to benefit us, others, and our world. It’s like harnessing the power of fast running water to generate electricity.
Our tongue should be a tree of life. Proverbs 15:4 (AMPC) A gentle tongue [with its healing power] is a tree of life, but willful contrariness in it breaks down the spirit.
How is the tongue a tree of life? The Scripture has revealed to us of the tongue’s healing power. Looking at this same Scripture from the Contemporary English we understand the tongue’s healing power.
Proverbs 15:4 (CEV) Kind words are good medicine, but deceitful words can really hurt.
We can use our tongue to speak kind words and that’s good medicine, that’s healing power, and that’s life.
Kind words are love filled and influenced words because love is kind. Love builds, encourages, and comforts. Tame your tongue by speaking words that build you and others not words that tear apart and pull down. Speak encouragement and comfort, avoid unkind discouraging, and cruel talk.
Ephesians 4:29 (GNT) Do not use harmful words, but only helpful words, the kind that build up and provide what is needed, so that what you say will do good to those who hear you.
We can tame our tongue – harness it’s power to profit us others, and our world by speaking the Word of God which is life and power.
Psalms 119:172 (NKJV) My tongue shall speak of Your word, For all Your commandments [are] righteousness.