Taming the Tongue

The Epistle of James says that anyone who considers himself or herself to be religious yet does not tame his tongue is self-deceived. James says that such a person’s religion is worthless. On the other hand, James refers to the person who tames his or her tongue as a “perfect” person. That’s a stark contrast. There’s a big difference between being a self-deceived person engaging in worthless religious practice and being “perfect” or “complete.” If we take these words of the Bible seriously, we need to start taking our own words far more seriously than we normally do. Words of blessing and cursing in Scripture do not merely express benevolent hopes or malevolent wishes; instead, they actually accomplish and ensure the very reward, good or evil, which they promise. Taming the tongue is one of the major concerns in Jewish teachings about ethical conduct (musar). Jewish law strictly forbids gossip, slander, deprecating language, and all types of derogatory remarks. This book, Taming the To