The tongue, according to James 3, can do a lot of damage. It can set “the whole course of one’s life on fire” (James 3:6). “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.” (James 3:9-10)
As church leaders we therefore need to guard the way we communicate so as to consistently build up rather than tear down. For that, we need help beyond ourselves. — “All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.” (James 3:7-8) — We need communication that’s empowered by a source capable of taming the tongue.
We Need the Right Source of Help to Tame Our Tongue
We can find the help we need in the name of the Lord. — “Our help is in the name of the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.” (Ps. 124:8)
- because of whose name it is … “the Maker of heaven and earth” (Ps. 124:8)
As the One who made our tongues, certainly He knows how to control it.
- because of the holiness of His name … “In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name.” (Ps.33:21)
We can count on Him to steer our words in a direction that will be right and good when we rely on His name because of the essence of the One who holds that name.
- because of the power in His name … “protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one.” (Jn. 17:11)
His power can protect us even from ourselves. So much of the damage to unity comes as a result of our words.
We Need the Right Motives to Consistently Realize Empowered Communication as a Result of His Name
To experience the power of His name in the way we communicate, we need to call on His name (Ps. 116:4, 13). We aren’t going to consistently call on His name if it’s simply to get us out of a jam. We need a higher motivation for calling on His name, such as doing so for the glory of His name, for His name’s sake (Ps. 31:3; 79:9).
We’ll get to that point when we acknowledge the Person behind the name. — “Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me.” (Ps. 31:3) — In addition to being our rock and fortress, He is “God our Savior” (Ps. 79:9) and “the Maker of heaven and earth” (Ps. 124:8). With such an awareness of whose name we call on, why wouldn’t we want even our tongues to be controlled if it’s for the glory of His name?
For More on These Topics, Go To:
All Posts about Communication:
- Communication with God Essential to Your Purpose
- Communication in Step with Your Purpose
- Communication Imperative to Body Life
- Communication Guided by Body Life Commands
- Communication Governed by the Great Commission
- Authority in Communication
- Focus of Communication
- Confidence in Communication
- Christ-like Communication Imperative
- What We Communicate: Both Grace and Truth
- How We Communicate: Both Graciously and Truthfully
- Who Can Tame the Tongue?
- Empowered Communication Because of the Gospel
- Empowered Communication as a Result of Spiritual Gifting
- Empowered Communication Seasoned with Grace
- Empowered Communication Possible Because of the Resurrection
- Empowered Communication Because of His Name
- Empowered Communication Takes Prayer
- Empowered Communication Guarded by Scripture
- Communication Under the Control of the Spirit
- Communication Protected with Spiritual Armor
- Be an Example in How to Communicate with One Another