Our tongues can be like puppies tails. They wag incessantly.
James says if we do not control our tongues our religion (our display of worship) is useless. Meeting the needs of widows and orphans and keeping oneself unspotted by the world are true acts of worship (James 1:26-27).
Note the way James puts it, keeping oneself "unspotted" by the world. It is like putting on your white wedding dress or tuxedo and finding a faded brown spot on your lapel or just below your neckline. Imagine you are the guest speaker at a large gathering and you glance in the mirror just before going on stage and see a bright red pimple on the tip of your nose. It is like coming home from the grocery store to find your pants have been unzipped the entire shopping trip.
James reminds us that actions speak louder than words.
