James 3:1–5 (ESV)
Taming the Tongue
3 Not many of you should
become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 2 For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. 3 If we put bits
into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. 4 Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5 So also
the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.
There are times that I ask people if they have ever said something they didn’t mean and it seems like I always will have one person raise
their hand. I want to call them a liar on the spot, but that may not go over well. But what about verse 2: “For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole
body.” I mean, after all, we all fall short of the kingdom of God. Martin Luther states: “Those who are truly righteous not only sigh and plead for the grace of God because they see that they have an evil inclination and thus
are sinful before God, but also because they see that they can never understand fully how deep is the evil of their will and how far it extends, they believe that they are always sinners, as if the depth of their evil will were infinite” (AE 25:221).”
I pray: O Lord help me to bridle my body and tongue according to your will and plead for grace because of my short-comings. Thank you for your plan of salvation for this poor sinner. Amen.