Slip of the tongue

Read: James 3:2-12 NLT – Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For – Bible Gateway

“Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.” James 3:2 NLT

Having a slip of the tongue moment can result in an embarrassing situation. Some things we say in jest don’t come out the way we intended. We may have thought they were clever and humorous, but they were not received in the same manner. It is at this moment that you realize some things are better left unsaid. Then there are other times when we think certain words are needed to get a point across and this also causes hurt feelings. We may think to ourselves, ‘I can’t win,’ but we can if we learn to control our tongues.

James writes, “ For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.” (Ja.3:2 nlt) But how can we control our tongues when James writes in a few short verses later, “And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself……..but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison.” (Ja.3:6, 8 nlt) The answer is we can’t, at least not on our own.

When James says we would be perfect if we learn to control our tongues he doesn’t mean flawless, but ‘complete’ or ‘mature.’ Being spiritually mature one is then able to control their tongue. Does that mean we will never have a slip of the tongue, well I’m afraid not. But if we follow Peter’s advice to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2Pt.3:13 esv) we will reduce our ‘slip of the tongue’ moments.