What about James?

Every time I read the book of James, something just jumps out at me. I don’t know what it is. Maybe that is why it is one of my favorite books in the Bible. But anywho, the tongue. What is it? What does it do? We all know (or at least I hope we do) it is a muscle in the body, a strong one, and it helps us eat, and in some cases do other things. It also, according to James 3 provides blessing AND cursing. Wait, what? Both out of the same device? Why yes. We really never think about how powerful, how devastating, and how uplifting our tongue can be, but I think it is time we do start thinking about it. I mean, how is it that one little member of our body can rip and tear one person to pieces and then build another person up a moment later? Truthfully, it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. But the verse that struck me was verse 2 “If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.” It took me until just recently to realize in fulness what this verse meant. I tried to reason through it most of the day today, and last night, thinking well is the tongue the source of all sin? No that can’t be, because we sin with our thoughts, and our hands and such. What then does this mean that a man is perfect if he does not stumble by word? If one were to look farther down the chapter, the puzzle gets put together in a beautiful masterpiece. It essentially says, that if one can control the tongue, it won’t be difficult to control the other parts of our being that sin, as the tongue is the most difficult. James 3 uses the bridle of a horse and the rudder of a ship for physical examples. But then it goes on to say that “No man can tame the tongue”! What?! It seems like a no win situation. But in reality, it is a win win situation either way we look at it. First, it shows we aren’t perfect, and that Christ was and is the only perfect person to grace the earth. Secondly, the fact that it shows we aren’t perfect, allows room for God’s grace to work in our lives. When we stumble, God’s grace is sufficient to repair the wounds, and ultimately, God is glorified. So then as Paul states in Romans, does this allow for us to sin? I would think not, but rather it allows us to demonstrate God’s grace to others, through our testimony of how His grace transformed our lives in sin, and helped us to somewhat control our tongue. Yes, the tongue can defile a man, but it can also throw him into the grace of God.