When an argument ensues are you more likely to hurt someone else or be the one to get hurt?
Our words can do a lot of damage. Just take a look at James 3:3-10. What we say can change the circumstances, attitudes, and relationships of all those that hear; either for the better or for the worse.
In James 3:3-10 what are some outcomes St James mentions our words can have?
“Now when we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we also guide the whole animal. And consider ships: Though very large and driven by fierce winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So too, though the tongue is a small part ⌊of the body⌋, it boasts great things. Consider how large a forest a small fire ignites. And the tongue is a fire. The tongue, a world of unrighteousness, is placed among the parts of our ⌊bodies⌋. It pollutes the whole body, sets the course of life on fire, and is set on fire by hell. Every sea creature, reptile, bird, or animal is tamed and has been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. We praise our Lord and Father with it, and we curse men who are made in God’s likeness with it. Praising and cursing come out of the same mouth. My brothers, these things should not be this way.” (HCSB)
With our tongue we can:
· Praise our Lord and Father
· Curse human beings
· Set the whole course of our lives on fire
· Corrupt our entire person
The worst effect our tongue can have is destroying our lives. That makes our words very powerful.
James also mentions that man has tamed every sea creature, reptile, bird, and animal but no man has tamed the tongue. If it is easier to tame lions, tigers, and bears than our own words why even try?
I want to try to get my tongue under control because Jesus said “you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (NASB) and because I do not want my words to destroy my life or hurt other human beings. Although I may “stumble in many ways” (James 3:2 HCSB) I want to stumble less and less as I grow in Christ.
However, fixing our tongue doesn’t happen by grabbing a hold of it or duct taping your mouth. The problem is inside of us and the solution needs to reach inside of us as well.
“…the mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart” (Matthew 12:34 HCSB).
We must ask God to change our hearts so that we can change our speech.
For more on our speech see: Matthew 23:25-27; Ephesians 4:25, 29; 5:3-4; and Exodus 20:19.
The Holy Bible : Holman Christian Standard Version. (Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers, 2009).
New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995).
Our words can do a lot of damage. Just take a look at James 3:3-10. What we say can change the circumstances, attitudes, and relationships of all those that hear; either for the better or for the worse.
In James 3:3-10 what are some outcomes St James mentions our words can have?
“Now when we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we also guide the whole animal. And consider ships: Though very large and driven by fierce winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So too, though the tongue is a small part ⌊of the body⌋, it boasts great things. Consider how large a forest a small fire ignites. And the tongue is a fire. The tongue, a world of unrighteousness, is placed among the parts of our ⌊bodies⌋. It pollutes the whole body, sets the course of life on fire, and is set on fire by hell. Every sea creature, reptile, bird, or animal is tamed and has been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. We praise our Lord and Father with it, and we curse men who are made in God’s likeness with it. Praising and cursing come out of the same mouth. My brothers, these things should not be this way.” (HCSB)
With our tongue we can:
· Praise our Lord and Father
· Curse human beings
· Set the whole course of our lives on fire
· Corrupt our entire person
The worst effect our tongue can have is destroying our lives. That makes our words very powerful.
James also mentions that man has tamed every sea creature, reptile, bird, and animal but no man has tamed the tongue. If it is easier to tame lions, tigers, and bears than our own words why even try?
I want to try to get my tongue under control because Jesus said “you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (NASB) and because I do not want my words to destroy my life or hurt other human beings. Although I may “stumble in many ways” (James 3:2 HCSB) I want to stumble less and less as I grow in Christ.
However, fixing our tongue doesn’t happen by grabbing a hold of it or duct taping your mouth. The problem is inside of us and the solution needs to reach inside of us as well.
“…the mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart” (Matthew 12:34 HCSB).
We must ask God to change our hearts so that we can change our speech.
For more on our speech see: Matthew 23:25-27; Ephesians 4:25, 29; 5:3-4; and Exodus 20:19.
The Holy Bible : Holman Christian Standard Version. (Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers, 2009).
New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995).
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