James, the apostle, had a number of provocative things to say about that relatively small appendage between our teeth, called the tongue. Quoting from The Amplified Bible, I want to point out what God has to say concerning how dangerous and destructive an uncontrolled tongue can be. James says this:

James 3:2 For we all often stumble and fail and offend in many things. And if any one does not offend in speech—never says the wrong things—he is a fully developed character and a perfect man, able to control his whole body and to curb his entire nature.

James 3:7-8 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea animal, can be tamed and has been tamed by human genius (nature). But the human tongue can be tamed by no man. It is (an undisciplined, irreconcilable) restless evil [“unruly evil”—KJV], full of death-bringing poison.” 1

James, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, doesn’t paint a pretty picture of the sinful use of man’s tongue. Nevertheless, as disturbing and dreadful as that picture may appear, it is undeniably accurate. Physically speaking, the human tongue is rooted in the mouth. However, practically and spiritually speaking, the tongue is rooted in man’s heart, for Jesus said, “…Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh” (Matt. 12:34b—KJV). The idea here is simply that what’s in our heart ends up on our tongue, sooner or later, often with horrendous consequences.

For instance, one of the most common transgressions perpetrated by an unruly, undisciplined tongue is that of gossip. Someone has rightly noted that, “Gossip is like soap—mostly lie (lye). A gossip is just a fool with a keen sense of rumor (humor).”2 Another man has charged that, “Gossip is the most deadly microbe. It has neither legs nor wings. It is composed entirely of tales, and most of them have stings.” 3 This guy is exactly right; and the Bible agrees with him. In Proverbs, we find these words: “The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly” (Prov. 18:8).

Some folks seem to thrive on spreading the latest juicy rumor going around the community. It’s no wonder then that they become labeled for what they really are: a gossip. Let me illustrate my point as follows:

The Gossip

Many years ago the Moody Church News carried a humorous story about a woman in a small town who was known for being a gossip. One day on vacation she visited the offices of The Chicago Daily News. She was wearing a white dress and inadvertently leaned against a wall where a freshly printed copy of the front page was hanging. It was a hot, humid day, and some of the print came off on the back of her white dress.

Later, as she walked down the street to meet her husband, she noticed that people walking behind her were snickering. When she reached the place where her husband was waiting, she asked him if there was anything on her back that shouldn’t be there. As she turned around, he read the large black reversed letters: sweN ylaiD. Realizing the appropriateness of the words, he said, “No, dear, nothing’s on your back that doesn’t belong there.” 4

There is an old adage that says, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never harm me.”5 We all have some idea of the meaning of those words. However, they aren’t entirely true. While hateful words, or repeating gossip about someone, might not hurt their body, they most assuredly wound the heart and the emotions of the one on the receiving end of them.

So how does one guard against hurting others with their tendency to speak words of criticism, and spread unfounded rumors and gossip? (1) Victory in this area begins by confronting one’s behavior as sin, and confessing it as such. God specifically forbade the practice of gossip in Leviticus 19:16a, which commands, “Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people…” (2) Ask God’s help in breaking this habit. One might pray the words of Psalm 141:3, which says, “Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.” It would also be advisable to make the thoughts of Psalm 19:14 a daily prayer. That verse says, “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.” (3) Don’t let Satan convince you that victory over this sinful habit of gossip is impossible, for God’s Word promises, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:13—KJV).

Getting victory over an unruly, troublesome tongue shouldn’t be the last thing you ever do. Success in this area is possible, although it won’t come over night. It will require persistence. Don’t give up, or you might wind up like this unfortunate lady:

On a windswept hill in an English country churchyard stands a drab, gray slate tombstone. The quaint stone bears an epitaph not easily seen unless you stoop over and look closely. The faint etchings read:

“Beneath this stone, a lump of clay,
Lies Arabella Young,
Who on the twenty-fourth of May,
Began to hold her tongue.” 6

1 The Amplified Bible: Containing the Amplified Old Testament and the Amplified New Testament, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Bible Publishers, 1986), p. 361.
2 Our Daily Bread.
3 Morris Mandel in Bits and Pieces, June, 1990, p. 22.
4 Our Daily Bread, June 23, 1994.
5 Traditional
6 Author unknown. Acquired from bible.org.