Today I am really sobered as I read about the deadly potential of a unconsecrated tongue. Listen to what James writes... I think he was writing for our church today:
"Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet watering bitter?" (James 3:5-11)
Recently I read something that I thought was really simple, but deeply profound. There a three gates that our words should go through, before they are spoken freely.
Gate 1: Is it necessary?
Gate 2: Is it true?
Gate 3: Is it kind?
So often, myself included, we just speak without thinking. We boast of great things, we criticize things we don't like, and we speak both blessings and cursing without stopping to think. May the Lord help us to submit our tongue to the Holy Spirit's taming, and may we be mindful of our words. Yes, sometimes difficult things must be spoken, but may the difficult things always be spoken in love. Sometimes truth is difficult to say, but it needs to be shared with gentleness and humility. And whatever we speak, we should always be kind.
Unfortunately there are many deadly fires "started by the tongue" running rampant in our church today. May the Lord help us, with meekness and humility, to be among those putting out fires, rather than those starting fires... May we be the repairers of the breach rather than breach makers.
Tomorrow's Reading: Ezek. 12-13 and James 4
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