The Master Switch

The Master Switch

If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless.

James 1:26

If we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way. . . . The tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.

James 3:2, 6

I said to myself, “I will watch what I do and not sin in what I say.”

Psalm 39:1

Somewhere in your house is an electrical box of circuit breakers. And at the bottom of that box, you’ll likely find a master switch. With a flip of that master switch, you can control the power for your whole house.

You have a master switch in your life too—something with a great deal of power even though it is relatively small. It’s your tongue. It can be used to encourage and bless, or it can be used to hurt and harm. It can open up life, or it can destroy a reputation or relationship. What we say reveals what’s in our hearts. Our tongues are like tattletales that tell on the heart. Jesus said, “Whatever is in your heart determines what you say” (Matthew 12:34).

While what you say reveals what is in your heart, controlling your tongue is also a way to guard your heart from sin. If we speak loving, true, and thoughtful words—words of humility, wisdom, peace, and gratitude—these words will influence our attitudes and our actions. Likewise, if we control our tongues and refuse to speak words of self-pity, bad language, and angry insults, then the destructive fire of these things is put out before it becomes a blaze in our lives. The master switch has cut off the power of our words to lead us into sin.

DISCUSSION STARTERS

How have someone’s words helped you? How have someone’s words hurt you?

Can you think of a time your words either revealed what was in your heart or helped shape what was in your heart?

If we want to grow in holiness, what are some limits we may want to set on what we allow to come out of our mouths?