Living out our lives for God is a far from easy task. We are up against the world, the flesh and the Devil. The pressure is on that we be conformed to the ways of a hostile world – squeezed into its norms. That pressure is relentless – day upon day, year upon year – but seems to have grown in intensity in more recent times.

One of those pressure points comes in the way we use words. It’s James who famously cautions on the tongue. It is, he says, a fire, a world of unrighteousness. He likens the tongue to a horse’s bit and the rudder on a ship. They are comparatively small but have a major effect – controlling the horse and steering the ship – things far bigger. And so it is with the tongue; it has the capacity to ruin the Christian life.

Sadly, words in our day so often come cheap. They are quickly and easily spoken. Often said with very little thought to their consequence. Often spoken with very little concern for their truth. We hardly go a week without news that some important personality has spoken out of turn and with dire results. The avenues for men’s words are many and multiply. Words spoken, but written. The phone, the email, the text, WhatsApp, X and a whole raft of other media become extensions of the tongue – and whilst presenting an amazing opportunity for usefulness – also come with amazing danger.

The Christian is to be known for the truthfulness of his words but also for his reserve, his care, his thought and his grace in the way he uses words. James tells us that our words will have to be accounted for. The Lord Jesus that even our ‘careless’ or ‘idle’ words will need to be answered. But oftentimes words are forthcoming without anything of the reserve they should know. We can be easily squeezed into this world’s norms without even realising what’s happening. Words can do great good. Words can do great damage. And words can call into question the fear of God in our hearts.

Stephen Roger