To Speak or Not to Speak

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Q & A on The Tongue
Q: Why did God make two ears and one mouth?
A: So we can listen more than we speak.
Q: Why are the ears on each side of the head?
A: So we can hear both sides of the story. Also, when I sing, I need to listen to the persons on my right and my left. Voices and sound come from different directions.
Q: How come the tongue is behind the lips and behind the teeth?
A: So we can guard our tongue well. Remember the expression – bite your tongue if you cannot control it?
To bite your tongue is the same as “to hold your tongue.” It essentially means to punish your tongue for wanting to say the wrong thing.

James 3:1-2 – Lessons on the Tongue
Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.
Beware of being self-righteous, having double standard, applying to others what I cannot do myself.
2 We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.
Beware of judging others with critical attitude and sharp tongue.


Metaphors of the tongue:

3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4 Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go.
5 Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

  • Bits in mouths of horses
  • rudders of ships
  • small spark of fire in a forest

    These symbolize control – direct the flow of conversation which generates feelings and thoughts, responses and reactions – can either be good or bad; can make people glad, mad or sad.

    7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
    Indeed the tongue is hard to tame especially when its owner is driven by emotions and bad intentions.
    9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.


    It is easy to sing or say good words when one is happy. The real test of self-control (fruit of the Spirit) is words spoken when one is upset, feeling hurt, angry or wronged.

    11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.


    More metaphors for the principle of input-output: out of the heart, the mouth speaks.
    The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. Luke 6:45 ESV

    How do we curse others? (v.9)
    GOSSIP…
    Proverbs 11:13 A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy person keeps a secret.
    Proverbs 16:28 A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends.
    Proverbs 26:20 Without wood a fire goes out; without a gossip a quarrel dies down.

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