The Untamed Tongue

Every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. But no man can tame the tongue.

James 3:7–8

James says we are able to control every kind of beast and animal, yet we have not learned how to control the tongue. After God created man, he was to rule over the fish, birds, cattle, and every creeping thing (Genesis 1:26). When Noah came out of the ark, God reiterated His purpose: “And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be on every beast of the earth, on every bird of the air, on all that move on the earth, and on all the fish of the sea. They are given into your hand” (9:2).

Today, the nature of the animal has been tamed by the nature of man. We have dancing bears, trained seals, talking dolphins, acrobatic birds, charmed snakes, dogs jumping through hoops, and lions with their mouths open wide and the trainer’s head inside. We have elephants that march in line behind one another with riders perched on top. All of these creatures have been tamed, but the tongue is untamed and untamable without God’s help.