“From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.” (James 3:10, ESV)
James is focused on the importance of godliness in the speech of the believer. His primary concern is with the words of those who are in authority in church, who hold the responsibility to teach others as well as set a good example. These have a great obligation before God to tame their speech because if they set a bad example for believers in their care, they can cause them to fall into sin. Such unguarded and evil speech, if unchecked, can create chaos in the church.
However, the teaching on speech is one which applies to all believers. Christians often copy the speech and words of those outside the church influenced as we all are by the media, especially social media. Exposure to violent, callous and slanderous words and speech can so overwhelm us that we may wind up thinking there is no harm in using offensive or inflammatory language ourselves, thereby bringing harm to the gospel.
Our words and speech demonstrate our faith as much as do our actions and deeds. The words that we use to convey our feelings and ideas reveal the attitude of the heart. Speech can be used to malign, abuse, control and corrupt others. That would also include gossip for it demonstrates a lack of caring as well as self-righteous hypocrisy. Gossip betrays attitudes that spring forth from a heart that is selfish, ambitious, envious, proud, bitter and corrupt, that is rooted in the desires of the flesh and the guidance of the devil. Rather we should seek to speak with love, peace and righteousness in imitation of the Lord Jesus.