How To Keep Your Whole Body In Check

[19] “We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.” — James 3:2 NIV

No person on this Earth hasn’t stumbled in one way or the other. You’ve probably tried doing some things before, but it didn’t work. It could be an online course you started but never finished, a plan you made but never implemented it or a tall to-do list you didn’t complete in a day. There are probably more examples of this. But I’m sure that by now, you’ve identified at least one thing in your life you could have done better.

Apostle James was right when he wrote that “we all stumble in many ways …”. So it’s a permanent flaw among humans. But when it came to stumbling in the use of the tongue, he added that “… Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.”

The word “perfect” used in the scripture means “consummate human integrity and virtue.” So the one who says what’s right at the right time is consummate in human integrity and virtue. But do we see it in the world? Hardly! Right?

God isn’t demanding us to be perfect in our speech. Otherwise, we won’t be free to speak well. But He does encourage us to get wisdom (see Proverbs 4:7). Because He knows when divine wisdom is available in the mind of His children, they’ll live unto Him and keep their tongues in check, which will, in turn, help keep their whole body in check.

Hence knowing how to keep your whole body in check is by being slow to respond to people, especially under pressure. The goal isn’t to confound others with your wisdom but to express Christ in your speech. Avoid underrating what your tongue can do in your life.

Prayer:

Father, help me to keep my tongue in check whenever I speak to people, especially when I get pressured. So that at the end of it all, every word coming from me will minister grace to the hearers. In Jesus’ name. Amen!

Devotional Code: KGD – 2023 – 240