"But no man can
tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father, and with
it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and
cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring send forth fresh water and
bitter from the same opening? Can a fig
tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields
both salt water and fresh." - James 3:8-12
I think what James is saying here is that our words about
others have more to do with who we are than who they are. Our words, especially those that are spoken
against someone else, show the defilement (rottenness, pollution, impurity,
profanity) of our hearts.
We're so careful to watch our diets to protect our hearts
from heart disease, and protect our bodies from all sorts of sickness. Yet Jesus said in Matthew 15:10-11 “Hear and understand: Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man;
but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.”
A physical diet often includes eating less, and eating
better. Maybe the best diet for the
heart is just saying less, and saying better things.
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