James 1:19ff says, “Take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry ... if anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.”

Someone has said that great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, and small minds discuss people. The church that James is writing to was full of small-minded people who gossiped about each other and tore one another apart with their tongues.

Fact is, little has changed. We’re quick to avoid murder, stealing and drunkenness, but we often assassinate fellow believers and leave destruction in our wake by the way we use our tongues.

Husbands have stabbed their wives with words that are as sharp as daggers and wives have lashed out with tongues that cut and pierce. Parents have devastated their kids by repeated blasts of venom. Children have exploded at their parents with volleys that have leveled the family like a bomb. And churches have been wiped out by wagging tongues that have sliced, diced, and chopped people to shreds like a Vega-matic as advertised on TV.

The tongue remains hidden for the most part, but when it does make its presence known it has devastating power.

The tongue can express or repress; release or restrain; enlighten or obscure; adore or abhor; offend or befriend; affirm or alienate; build or belittle; comfort or criticize; delight or destroy; be sincere or sinister.

In James 3:1-12, he uses six different word pictures of the tongue to help us see how small, yet powerful it is; a bit for a horse, a rudder on a ship, a fire in a forest, a dangerous animal being tamed, a spring of water – bitter or sweet, and fruit from a tree.

I think we can all relate to what James is saying here. The small size of a bit, yet with the power to steer a ton of horse. The small rudder can control the direction of a large liner or even an aircraft carrier, so too, the tongue can control our lives.

Then fire – don’t we know about that here in Lake County. A great forest set ablaze by a small spark. The tongue is also a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body.

A dangerous animal can be tamed by man but seems few people can tame their tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison, James says. Then the spring of water. It can’t be fresh and bitter at the same time. One or the other. And lastly, fruit … fruit is produced based on what nature defines. We are defined by what the nature of the tongue says.

James is calling us to be consistent. What comes out of our mouths is a reflection of what is in our hearts. And if some of the things I have heard and experienced in my life are an indication of what is in the heart of people, including myself, then we are in deep trouble and need a gracious Savior to pull us out of the mess we continually dig ourselves into!

When all is said and done, our tongues are under the scrutiny of God’s law and judged by the enormity of how that tongue convicts us.

Our escape from the sin of the tongue is a man who gave His life for the loose lips attached to our face. That’s gospel … that’s Jesus … that’s all that needs to be said!

Please join us to hear more about this crazy tongue of ours this Sunday at 11 a.m. for worship, lunch immediately following worship, and our monthly food cupboard from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

All are welcome, so come as you are!

Chris DelCol is pastor of First Lutheran Church in Lucerne, Calif. The church is located at 3863 Country Club Drive, telephone 707-274-5572. Email Pastor Chris at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..