How to Sail Through Life - James 3:1-18

There are only eighteen verses in the third chapter of James. The first twelve verses deal with the impossibility of taming the tongue; and the last six verses discusses the two kinds of wisdom and the importance of having and using genuine wisdom. Even after reading the writing by James and looking at several commentaries I am still having difficulties understanding where the author of EXPLORE THE GOSPEL, got his inspiration to tell us “How to Sail Through Life” using this scripture as our reference material.

Maybe I can squeeze it into a compressed form that simply says; “If you want to sail through life with little difficulty, you must first get wisdom and then learn to bridle your evil tongue.”

James starts his dissertation by warning many of us that it is a mistake for us to become teachers. In James’ day teachers were of first rate importance, they were honored, and even ranked with the prophets. In Acts 13: 1, they are listed as number two on the list of those with great gifts in the church. New born Christians were handed over to the teachers of the church to be admonished in the way that was right. Those that failed became known as false teachers. There were two major problems with most false teachers. One problem was that they would become interested in teaching in order to turn Christianity into another kind of Judaism which also required circumcision and keeping other acts of the Law. A second major problem was found with those who did not live honorable lives, thus bringing dishonor to the faith.

It is interesting to note that James thinks teaching is dangerous also because it requires a man to use the tongue and considers the tongue as a dangerous weapon. He simply reminds us that we have not been able to control or bridle the tongue and that it still causes problems among people. \For this reason, it will inherently be dangerous for one to try to teach truth using an instrument that he can not control.

Teachers must teach those that are young in age—or new converts who are just children in the faith. He must teach the truth and not his opinion or prejudices. Teachers are in double jeopardy in that they not only have to teach the truth but they must also live the truth or they are practicing hypocrisy.

Ames has never been surpassed in his teachings regarding the problems that are brought on by the misuse of the tongue. If you will take a few moments to study the severity of problems that are brought about by lack of tongue control you will be amazed at the insight one gets from the book of James. It is amazing how we are able to control other organs of the body to perform perfectly and without problems and then find it impossible to control one of the smallest organs of the body. James takes us back to the day of creation and reminds us that man was placed in control of all the wild beast of the forest; a job which we have done well—and then he reminds us that we do not have control over our own tongue.

Jesus reminds us that we use the same tongue to curse the father that has afforded our greatest blessings and we bless the one whom we worship with the same organ—the tongue. James cries out to us that we should not allow this conflict to take place in our bodies because of the misuse of the same organ. He says that our own experience teaches us that there is a cleavage in human nature. In some ways we are as an ape and in some we are like an angel—something of a hero and something of a villain—something of a saint and something of a sinner. James says that there is no other place where these things are more evident than in the function of the tongue of man. Ben Franklin once said that “A slip of the foot you may soon recover, but a slip of the tongue you may never get over.”

James tied the follow of teaching in with the unskillful use of the tongue. I suppose that in a nutshell we have found that you should not rush to be a teacher. It is dangerous, for everyone stumbles when he talks too much. James talks about control of a horse with a small bit under his tongue and the fact that a huge ship can be guided with accuracy by the attachment of a small rudder. In both cases; man has control. In the same powerful way the human body and human will is guided by the tongue; however for some reason man does not have the ability to control the tongue.

James states that one God’s main idea is that he wants his people to control their tongues and to seek true wisdom and use it as their guide through life. As you read on through this chapter you will find that those who misuse the tongue receive God’s condemnation.