We’ve talked about the weight of words—their potential to build up or tear down. But what about the inconsistency of our words? The struggle to keep them aligned with our faith is real. We want to speak one way, but something else comes out. Taming our tongues is hard.
James, as we discussed in the last episode, tells us that no human can tame the tongue. We praise God one minute, then tear someone down the next. Sunday, we’re singing His praises; Monday, we’re complaining. Bold truth one moment, careless lies the next. Sound familiar? I know I’m guilty.
This inconsistency—this “double-mindedness” James talked about—shows up so clearly in how we speak. The struggle between holiness and worldliness is most visible on the battlefield of our tongues. I’ll be the first to admit—this is something I struggle with. Too often, my words slip into sarcasm, belittling, or just trying to be funny instead of being focused on what’s holy. Maybe you can relate.
But here’s the truth—sheer willpower isn’t going to cut it. We can’t fix this on our own. No human can tame the tongue.
James uses two powerful images: a spring and a tree. A spring doesn’t gush fresh water one minute and bitter the next. A healthy tree doesn’t suddenly produce rotten fruit. It’s the same with us. If we’re truly followers of Christ, our words should show it.
Jesus himself said it best in Luke 6:
“For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”
Let’s not rush past this. This is important—“Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” Your words are an overflow of what’s inside you. My words are an overflow of what’s inside me. What we say and how we communicate is like peeking into the windows of our hearts. They reveal our thoughts, desires, and priorities—the real condition of our hearts. Want to take a spiritual pulse? Just listen to yourself. What truths are your words revealing about the state of your heart?
James isn’t trying to make us feel defeated. He’s showing us the truth so we can change. He’s holding up a mirror so we can see what needs refining. The worst thing we could do is look intently at our need and then walk away unchanged. Instead, let’s surrender this to God, asking that the Holy Spirit works in us that which we cannot do alone. Transformation of speech flows from a heart refined by the Spirit, a mind renewed by truth. Sanctifying us by truth, maturing our hearts so that our words consistently reflect the One we follow.
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.
”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. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.” James 3:9-12
ESV Study Bible. (2010). Crossway Books.
From Talk Scripture: Inconsistency of Words | James 3:9-12
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