Day 33 - GRACE BUSTERS - Untamed Tongues 

James 3:1-12

PAUSE –
Take a deep breath, offer this time and your focus to the Lord with the Psalmist

      May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. 
Psalm 19:14

REJOICE in his goodness with Psalm 19:1-4a

      The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 

      Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.

      They have no speech; they use no words; no sound is heard from them.

      Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.

There’s a classic line about careful speech that is often attributed to Abraham Lincoln, and though it likely originated from another source, it is still worth repeating: 

It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.”

Oh, if I only would remember this when I most need to be silent. There is another quote that is even more worthy of our consideration: 

Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers (and sisters), this should not be. 

            James 3:10

Allow me to make a strong statement that will likely cause some to not want to read any further.  Could it be possible that the angry rhetoric (written or spoken) of Christians may be causing more harm to our Kingdom mission than the moral brokenness in our culture? Perhaps you disagree with my statement, but let’s consider some challenging words from Scripture. Yesterday we considered the grace of listening, and the potential harm of thoughtless speech.  Today we continue the theme of the power of words and the call to bridle the tongue.

READ AND REFLECT on these words from James 3:1-12

Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brother, and sisters, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he/she says, he/she is perfect, able to keep the whole body in check. 

When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example, although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts.  Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body.  It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his/her life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. 

All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by humanity. But no one can tame the tongue.  It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness.  Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing.  My brothers, this should not be.  Can both fresh water and saltwater flow from the same spring? My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

Wow, the writer of James doesn’t hold back on the danger of speaking poorly of others, and the great harm that careless communication can cause among God’s people and beyond. I’m struck by the phrase, “with it (the same tongue that praises God) we curse people, who have been made in God’s likeness.”

I’m recalling the guidance from Ephesians 5:12 when we face opposition:

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. We are called to pray against division, corruption, injustice, and immoral movements in our world. And for release of the captives. Aggressive prayer is fitting and appropriate warfare.

But I must bridle my tongue (and my keyboard) when it comes to accusations and judgmental words “about” others. 

This is especially clear about making declarations to or about groups of people, demonizing indiscriminately those who are created in the image and likeness of God. Out of the same mouth comes praise and cursing. This should not be.  

REREAD AND REFLECT again on James 3:1-12.
Read it aloud if you are able.  Pay attention to what words or phrases stand out to you. 

Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brother, and sisters, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he/she says, he/she is perfect, able to keep the whole body in check. 

When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example, although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts.  Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body.  It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his/her life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. 

All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by humanity. But no one can tame the tongue.  It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness.  Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing.  My brothers, this should not be.  Can both fresh water and saltwater flow from the same spring? My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

The word that struck me is small. Just a small bridle in the mouth of a large horse, a small rudder steering a big ship, a small spark igniting a massive forest fire, and a small tongue which can do great harm. Just a few words can tear apart families, rip at the heart of the vulnerable, ruin a reputation. “What’s the big deal?” someone might quip after a careless accusation or public shaming statement. This is especially dangerous when a word is posted on social media or sent in an email. Anything written is unretrievable these days. 

How many suffer great wounds from a single tweet? 

ASK -
Lord, we confess that we are often careless with our words. We know that what is said or written can cause great harm, to people and to your Kingdom.  Lord, would you convict us, correct us, and cleanse us that our words would be grace-filled even when expressing hard truths? Reveal our hearts to us Lord that we might be honest with our failures and humbled as needed. 

YIELD -
Father, I submit to you my habits of listening and speaking.  Reveal the things that create an ungracious spirit in me. Help me to listen to those who are hurting, even when they might disagree with me. Holy Spirit, I surrender my tongue, my speech, my written words to you for your glory. 

Lectio 365 Concludes each morning devotional with this prayer: 

      Father, help me to live this day to the full, being true to you in every way. 

     Jesus, help me to give myself away to others, being kind to everyone I meet. 

     Spirit, help me to love the lost, proclaiming Christ in all I do and say.   Amen.

I think it would be good to pray this hymn again: May the Mind of Christ My Savior…

May the mind of Christ my Savior live in me from day to day.

By His love and power controlling all I do and say. 

May the word of God dwell richly in my heart from hour to hour,

So that all may see I triumph only through His power.

May the love of Jesus fill me as the waters fill the sea, 

Him exalting, self-abasing, this is victory.

May His beauty rest upon me as I seek the lost to win,

And may they forget the channel, seeing only him. 

May I run the race before me, strong and brave to face the foe,

Looking only unto Jesus as I onward go.

May the peace of God my Father rule my life in everything 

That I may be calm to comfort sick and sorrowing

You can pray this hymn by singing along.