Bridling the Tongue to Bridle the Body (TMF:2046)

Monday, March 13, 2023
Peace to Live By: Bridling the Tongue to Bridle the Body (TMF:2046) - Daniel Litton
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       The athlete has to be able to endure the criticism, the times when people aren’t happy with their choices and performance. Like the athlete performs in front of others for all to see, so does God’s preacher. The sports player is judged with greater strictness, and so is God’s minister. Now James says, “For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well.” The goal of the preacher, or really anyone for that matter, is to pay careful attention to what we say. What James says here about a person being able to control their tongue and at the same time their whole body is apparent to us. A person who cannot control what they are saying to others won’t be able to control what they are doing in the rest of their actions. The preacher who chooses his or her words carefully is one whom you can count on that they are likely practicing, at least to a certain degree, what they preach. The person isn’t just saying whatever it is because it sounds nice.