I’ve described myself in weeks past as a negative, critical person who has pushed a rope all my life. Now, that doesn’t mean that I am nasty, mean, vindictive, etc. For many years my wife and I met monthly with some “friends” for dinner. We lived about 2 hours apart so we met about half way in between at a really good restaurant. My wife used to refer to this meeting as her monthly tongue lashing. The person doing the lashing always used to explain that her mean and nasty disposition was just who she is; nothing she could do about it. My wife never “lashed” back although she was tempted a time or two and certainly would have been “justified”.
You may have someone in your life like this. Or you may be someone like this. These people are sometimes referred to as the “irregular” people in our lives. You know what I’m talking about.
This phenomenon, however, is clearly explained in the Bible.
James 3:8 “If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well. 3 Now if we put the bits into the horses’ mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their entire body as well. 4 Look at the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot desires. 5 So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things.
See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell. 7 For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race. 8 But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison.9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; 10 from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way. 11 Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Nor can salt water produce fresh.”