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REFLECTION

The power of the tongue and its speech is the theme for our reflection. The tongue is the muscular organ in the mouth primarily responsible for speech, taste, manipulation of food for mastication and swallowing. Our focus in this reflection is on the speech ability of the tongue.

There are three important things a Christian must learn to control through the power of his or her will and the enablement of the Holy Spirit. These things are thoughts, feelings or emotions and last but not the least, speech. Indeed, the tongue is responsible for speech and it is the servant of the mind and the heart which are responsible for harboring our thoughts and feelings or emotions respectively. It is for this reason Jesus said that “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” (Matthew 12:34). It is important to note that without the power of the tongue, the mouth cannot speak. In other words, one needs a healthy and effective tongue in order to communicate the desires of the mind and the heart through speech.

James now comes in to caution us to be good stewards of our tongues. In others words we must not underestimate the power of the tongue and its speech because “If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! (James 3:3-5). In other words, the tongue is like a spark of fire, it can cause great mischief but the good news is that it can be controlled by its owner. Paul encourages us to use the power of the tongue and its speech effectively when he wrote that “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” (Ephesians 4:29). Remember, the tongue may be as powerful as a spark of fire but it is your servant and not your master. To control the tongue effectively we must fill our thoughts and hearts with the Word of God then the Holy Spirit will empower us to use our tongue for speech that will sound graceful, meaningful and peaceful to those we come across in our lives. Our tongues can either draw us closer or repel us from others. Be a good steward of your tongue. Shalom.

PRAYER

Holy Spirit, strengthen us to be the masters of our tongues and not the slaves of our tongues. As disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ, may our speech bring peace, unity and healing to those we come across in life. Amen.