The Untamable Tongue

Stop for just a moment and consider the words that you speak. Consider the things that you say. What do you say to other people? When you're angry, do you hurl insults? Have you ever talked about someone behind their back? Have you ever told someone a lie? None of us can deny it. We've all been guilty of saying things that we've regretted. We've all said things that we shouldn't have. But how often do we stop and consider the things that we say, or have said, and what exactly it may mean about us, what this may reveal about us?

Although all of us, as I've mentioned, have been guilty, have you noticed that there are those of us who have more trouble, perhaps, with what we say, and the angry words that we speak and such. Do you wonder why this may be?

In Matthew 12:33-35, we read:

³³Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.

³⁴O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

³⁵A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.


Whatever it is we have in our hearts, it's going to turn up in some way. More often than not it's going to come out through our words, through the things that we say. We can help old ladies across the street. We can hold the door open for the people walking behind us. We can help little children find their lost kittens. We can do a lot of good things, but if there's anger within our hearts, if pride exists within our hearts, or if any kind of evil or wickedness is within us, it's going to come out. It's going to come out in our words, in the things that we say.

James 3:5-10 says

⁵Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!

⁶And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.

⁷For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:

⁸But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

⁹Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.

¹⁰Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.


Everything that we say, throughout the course of our lives, things that we've said before and things that we will say, all of it is being recorded. All of it is being remembered, and one day we will be held accountable for it. The scriptures tell us that the tongue is untamable, that no man can tame it. It reveals what exists what's in our hearts, what's inside of us. Any evil that spews from the mouth, any evil words, any angry, any hatred, any words along those lines that come out, it reveals what's in the heart. It reveals what's inside of us. The things we say that come from the heart are more revealing than what we do.

So, stop for a moment, and consider. What kinds of things do you say?


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