By but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. (James 3:8-10 ESV)
James chapter 3 is a shocking display of words regarding this little member called the tongue. Our verses tell us the tongue is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. From this imagery, it is hard not to think of the tongue as a venomous snake. We have heard of snake tamers; we know that certain snakes are full of deadly poison, and the devil himself slithered around the Garden Of Eden in the form of a serpent. God tells us that our tongue holds the power of an evil that never rests. This evil contains a venom that can poison to the point of death.
If you are reading this before you begin your day, or maybe before you lay your head down to rest, I pray that you will be reminded of the power your tongue contains to either bless or curse. Do those around you feel like you are blessing their lives by the words you speak to them, or do they feel like they are cursed when they are in your presence. No human being can tame their own tongue. Jesus alone holds the power to tame this powerful deadly beast.
Leading Family Devotions 