This is a great song a bit more alternative but about keeping our mouths shut.
"Hey I want you to meet my Sunday School Teacher", she said. Those words always make me feel weird. I am what she says I am but now that person will look at me differently. Do I want that?
I often shudder when I hear or read these opening verses of James 3, "Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly" (James 3:1). Believe me I take this so seriously. When I teach you or write these studies it is a serious thing. It is not something that someone should just wake up one day and decide hmmm maybe I will teach the Bible. :) No instead it has to be something done in great faith knowing that God has given you the gift of teaching through His Spirit.
Unfortunately today we see a lot of the same things with teachers. You must be careful that whoever you listen too they are teaching the true and full gospel of Christ. Otherwise they can lead you astray. When you are given influence there is a reason to take it seriously. Here the verse says there will be a stricter judgment. Commentaries reference Luke 12:48 here, "But someone who does not know, and then does something wrong, will be punished only lightly. When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required." It is a good parable to take the time to read in context however basically it states you are accountable for what you know. This is not an excuse to be lazy and stop learning either. Those issues are addressed as well throughout Scripture. However, God opens our eyes to things and when He does we are accountable to how we handle those. We must take this seriously.
Now, this first verse is a great lead in to the rest of the chapter because it addresses the tongue. Read James 3:2-12 Even if you are not a teacher you have been given influence with someone. Especially our families. How we speak to others has great impact on them. We must pay close attention to our words.
The next verse says we are perfect if we never stumble in what we say. This is the third time that word perfect is used. Again it means we are whole, and complete. Suffering aids in this process of making us perfect, God's gifts are addressed as perfect, and God's law is addressed as perfect all from James 1. Now we see it again in the context of if we do not stumble in speech we are perfect. I think we all know that this is an impossibility. We say things that are wrong or mean. We are people who do not love well. We do not use words well. We must own up to this. Otherwise if we can control our tongue then we can control everything else about us. No more sin. Interesting isn't it? Maybe it is because Scripture tells us what comes out of our mouth is a direct reflection of what is in our hearts (Luke 6:45). When something is in our heart then it is part of us. The things in our hearts are our beliefs.
v. 3 Says we can control a large horse with a small bit.
v. 4 says we can control a large ship with a small rudder even in strong winds.
v.5 says The tongue is compared to these things. It is a small thing that controls big things by making big speeches.
v.5b-6 speaks of the tongue being like a small spark that can set a forest on fire the tongue is similar. Words do hurt, long after they are spoken. We create tapes in our heads that will replay over and over like on a tape recorder if we let them. It is not true that words do not hurt. They do hurt.
Proverbs 16:24 states, "Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones."
Proverbs 18:21 states, "The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit."
Based on these verses and what we have learned so far have you rightly understood the power of your words? Yes or No? Explain.
How can you improve your use of words? Another key I have learned is your tone of voice. It makes a great difference as well in addressing others. Again, do you really make time for people? Do you really listen? Do you really respond with kindness and love? How can you improve? We all can improve.
The Scriptures go on to state this because they state every kind of creature can be tamed by mankind but no man can tame the tongue. WOW! Can you imagine that? Think of being at Seaworld seeing those killer whales and how they are tamed by men yet we cannot even tame the very thing that we live with daily. In verse 7 it states about the tongue that, "It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison."
Verses 8-12 goes on to state why the tongue is a deadly poison. It states, "Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right!" Then it goes on to compare things that cannot be both.
How have you done this? Have you cursed someone and praised God out of the same mouth? Maybe even a moment after another? I have done this. I know I have come back from having a wonderful praise time in my car all alone then when I arrive home I have just yelled at my kids for something they have done. This should not be. Give an example of this in your own life.
This is all for now. It is a lot to think about. We must take it to heart. Proverbs 4:23 states, "Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life." How are you doing this? So my prayer for us this week is, "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer" (Psalm 19:14).
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