Scripture Reading: James 3:1-12

Loose Lips Sink Ships

Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips. Isaiah 6:5
During World War II, the Office of War Information printed thousands of posters with the slogan: Loose Lips Sink Ships. These words reminded Americans of dangerous it was to inadvertently share information about ship sailing times and destinations. In the hands of a spy this information could lead to loss of life and property. While I have no knowledge of how many lives were saved by this campaign, it reminds me of something I do have knowledge about: words matter!
Consider how many sins are related to the mouth; lying, cursing, taking God’s name in vain, dirty jokes, gossip, slander, verbal abuse, name-calling, threats, etc. And it’s not just what we say that gets us into trouble, but what we fail to say. Think of the damage done by unexpressed love, silence in the face of lies, and missed opportunities for witness. Yes, loose lips can wreak havoc—and not only in your soul but also in the lives of others!
Jesus explains why our tongue is so important. For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks (Matt. 12:34). Nothing comes out of the mouth that wasn’t first in the heart. Like a gauge on the dashboard of a car, the tongue lets everyone know what is really going on under the hood. This is why Jesus is bold to asset that our eternal destinies will be determined by a review of all that we have said. But I tell you that men will have to give an account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned (Matt. 12:36-37).
This awareness causes me to want to join Isaiah in his cry of despair: Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips (Isaiah 6:5). James puts the matter forcefully:  How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. 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. (James 3:5-8)
Is there any hope for any of us? Can the tongue be tamed?  God could have responded to Isaiah’s confession by washing his mouth out with soap. But he know the problem was much deeper than that! God’s solution required fire. A burning coal from the altar was laced on Isaiah’s mouth (Isa. 6:6-7) Sins of the tongue can only be cleansed by fire! I’m intrigued by the fact that when the Holy Spirit was poured out at Pentecost, he came in sanctifying fire. And the first part of the body to be affected was the tongue (acts 2:1-4)
God doesn’t want to remove your tongue; he wants to sanctify it! But it will take more than soap and water. It will take the fire of the Spirit purifying the heart. When your heart is pure, your mouth will be a source of blessing! God took a foul-mouthed hypocrite like Isaiah and transformed him into a prophet of truth and grace. He can do that for you too … if you ask.

O be careful little tongue what you say: For the Father up above is looking down in love, O be careful little tongue what you say. Children’s Sunday School Chorus

Point to ponder: Your tongue reveals infallibly what is in your heart.
Prayer focus: The sanctification of the tongue.