The Words of our Mouth – James 3:1-12
Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 2 For all of us make many mistakes. Anyone who makes no mistakes in speaking is perfect, able to keep the whole body in check with a bridle. 3 If we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we guide their whole bodies. 4 Or look at ships: though they are so large that it takes strong winds to drive them, yet they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great exploits.
How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire. The tongue is placed among our members as a world of iniquity; it stains the whole body, sets on fire the cycle of nature, and is itself set on fire by hell. 7 For every species of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by the human species, 8 but no one can tame the tongue—a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse those who are made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and brackish water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers and sisters, yield olives, or a grapevine figs? No more can salt water yield fresh.
What does the passage say?
V. 1-6 The power of the tongue. The tongue has the power to bring life into a person. However, instead of using it to revive, we experience the tongue being a tool of destruction. “It only takes a spark, remember, to set off a forest fire. A careless or wrongly placed word out of your mouth can do that. By our speech, we can ruin the world, turn harmony to chaos, throw mud on a reputation, send the whole world up in smoke right from the pit of hell” (v. 5-6 The Message).
V. 7-12 The tongue is almost impossible to tame. James says, “… but no human being can tame the tongue. It is restless evil, full of deadly poison” (v. 8 NIV). James points out that our tongue praising God and cursing others is a contradiction. “Curses and blessings out of the same mouth! My friends, this can’t go on” (v. 10 The Message).
What does this mean to me/ us?
James starts with the responsibility teachers carries. “[Those] who teach will be judged more stricktly” (v. 1 NIV). I do believe, when the church, take this word quickly and forget the weight of their words preached through the tongue, they can hurt others. As a church, and as Christians, we need to reflect upon the power of the words.
We need to start with acknowledging that we are also victims of the power of the tongue. Words from the world, or even the church, might have hurt us. We need to start with forgiving the people, who didn’t acknowledge the power of the tongue, and ask God’s grace to overpower us, so we do not become a victim of the tongue. Then we need to ask that our words can become a tool for healing and blessing.
We do know that it is nearly impossible for us to tame our tongue. However, should we as Christians give up this task because it is impossible? Or will we strive to get out of this dichotomy? We might not be perfect, but may not the Lord grant us the grace to make a difference?
Lord, help us to be freed from the power of the tongue. Let us not be imprisoned by others, who didn’t know the power of the tongue. But instead, help us to share words that will bring life, instead of death. We can only do this, through your grace. We asks for this grace to cover us today. In Christ name we pray, AMEN.
What are your thoughts?
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