James 3:8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

That is a rather harsh and bold statement. I sometimes think it could use a bit of editing.

These devotionals are short and easily edited. I can for the most part read them three or four times and do self-editing. I will from time to time publish one with a minor flaw, usual a syntax error or alternate spellings of words that sound alike but mean something different. Their, there, they’re. Simple meaningless, harmless. Our scripture today is anything but harmless.

Larger works, periodicals, pamphlets and books undergo a series of edits and fact checks before being released. Not so with speech. The words come out of your mouth and nothing can be done to change the words, inflection, tone, or impact. Those words can often be loosed without any amount of self-editing.

I would like to tone down the speech James gives here, it seems harsh. But it is factual in context if not content. The tongue will give away what is in the heart of each of us. We may by intentional practice deceive others but the tongue will eventually give us up for what we are inside.

If the inner man has changed, the tongue will reveal it. God places a high degree of importance on the condition of the heart. Your tongue will be honest in revealing your heart. If you repent of things you have said, do not blame the tongue, it cannot be tamed. In can only reflect the intent of the heart. Those moments need to be taken to heart and offered up to correction in the spirit, for the spirit has the power to change the heart.

The Holy Spirit is The Editor in Chief and has the last say.