God Speaks
Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2 Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.
3 We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. 4 And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. 5 In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches.
But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. 6 And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.
7 People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, 8 but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. 9 Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. 10 And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! 11 Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? 12 Does a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? No, and you can’t draw fresh water from a salty spring.
13 If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying. 15 For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. 16 For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.
17 But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. 18 And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.
Source: New Living Translation: BibleGateway.com
We Respond
Reflection: James continues expressing his concern for the church in general, particularly Jewish believers in Christ, because he knows that culture best and pastors the church in Jerusalem. First, he addresses those who would be teachers and then the need for control of the tongue. He uses various real-life examples to illustrate how powerful this small member of our body really is: the bit in a horse’s mouth; the small rudder on a large ship; and the tiny spark that ignites a raging forest fire. Many types of animals can be trained, but the tongue is much more difficult to tame. The human tongue inexplicably seems to spew out both good and evil. The same tongue can be used for both blessing and cursing. James seems to wonder, “How can this be? How can both fresh and salty water exist in the same pool?” Verses 13-18 are a very compelling statement regarding wisdom, where it comes from and what it looks like.
Prayer: Dear Father God, You hold those who speak (as they lead and/or teach Your people) to a higher standard. James gives us many examples of how destructive the tongue can be, despite its small size. You are the One who created my tongue. Please help me to control it. Fill me with Your wisdom and understanding. In these days of rapid, wide-spread communication through the internet, social media, smart phones, and live streaming, it is more important than ever that we have Your wisdom, help, and direction. Help me to recognize faulty human and/or demonic speaking (or writing) based on thinking that is selfish, jealous, boastful, envious, power-seeking, deceptive, or outright false. Instead, may I convey words and thoughts that are from You (pure, peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, and sincere). May I be an ambassador for Your kingdom who sows peace and reaps righteousness. For Your glory, not my own. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
- I will ask the Holy Spirit to monitor my mouth and help me to speak only words of wisdom that come from God (not just my own human ideas).
- I will memorize James 3:17-18 and use this passage on wisdom to guide my speech, writing, and teaching.
- I will willingly and faithfully teach my own or other children or adults as God directs.
- I will be impartial and sincere, especially if I am called on to make some kind of judgment (ex. jury duty or a family dispute).
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.