...8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. (James 3)
Poisonous snakes: that's what our tongues are. They strike hard and fast, but their harm is enduring and even fatal. Words can kill. Once they're out, they're out. Most people are not prepared with a "snake bite kit" - they must be on hand and applied immediately to save from the poison. So it is with our words; we rarely retract quickly enough for the harm to not endure. So what is the cure? To stop being a poisonous snake. And that transformation can only take place from the inside out - a change in our nature. We must resolve to do all we can to "maintain the unity of the bond of peace" with our tongues, by allowing the Holy Spirit to transform our minds and our mouths. And we can prepare ourselves for snakes - realizing we will be bitten by words wrongly spoken, and our snakebite kit is the fruit of the Spirit. When the snake bites us, may he/she bite into a piece of patience and self-control, not a shovel beating it (which at that point will do no good.) Lord, tame our tongues today.
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