Having a Tamed Monster

I went to bed last night, and woke up this morning thinking about words. Particularly the words that come from our mouths. I opened my Bible to James 3:8 that tells me that no human being can tame the tongue. Yet in the chapter 1:26, James tells us that if I think I am religious and I don't bridle my tongue, my heart is deceived. Which leads me to wonder how I can be expected to bridle my tongue, yet am told that no human being can do this?

So I searched the word tongue in the Bible, and found many instances of the tongue being tamed. First let me explain what taming is. You have seen videos, or have been to a circus and seen a wild lion that has been tamed. This tamed lion not only doesn't kill the spectators in the audience, but does do positive acts that entertain those watching. My point is that to have the tongue tamed means that you don't speak words that you shouldn't. And that you do speak words that you should. This is where I think I fail. I do not speak many words anymore that are foolish or sinful. I do however fail by not speaking the blessing, positive and encouraging words that I should speak. Or I fail to speak of Jesus when I know I should. This is not having a tamed tongue.

Isaiah is given the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak (Isaiah 50:4). Moses is told that God has made man's mouth. He has made the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind. Zachariah's voice is taken away from him during the pregnancy of Elizabeth, and given back to him later on (Luke 1:20, 64). David prays to God and asks Him to deliver him from his own tongue (Psalm 120:2).

I think the command to bridle our tongues is the same as being commanded to be holy as God commands us to be in 1 Peter 1:16. How am I, an unholy man to be holy? How am I, a man who has a wild and unbridled tongue to tame the monster? I think the answer to each question is the same. Gospel grace. Only through the gospel of Jesus Christ am I able to make any progress toward being holy. Only through the gospel of Jesus Christ am I able to tame my tongue, so that it refrains from speaking harsh words, and does speak words of truth and blessing. Because out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks (Luke 6:45). And the only way a heart changes is by the gospel.