Tuesday, April 27: Trouble comes in little packages!

Walking as a Christian certainly isn’t an easy path. At the moment we make the decision to follow Jesus, God gives us new hearts. Yet that is not the moment that He perfects us or completes His work in us. Instead, the daily lessons and changes begin! If you walk away from one addiction, another stares you in the face. To me, the most difficult aspect to change deals with the smallest part…the tongue.


See how great a forest a little fire kindles! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell. 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. 8 But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. 10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? 12 Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh.
James 3:5-12


As we grow in Christ, our mouth should shrink! Instead of being quick to speak, we should be quick to listen. A wise man pointed out that because God gave us two ears and only one mouth, at the least, we should listen twice as much as we talk! Yet instead, we speak of our rights, our wants, how other people are failing, how they let us down, etc. Having studied journalism through college, I learned that truth is a defense in libel suits, yet God doesn’t draw the line at speaking truth. If that truth proceeds to destroy a Christian brother’s character, is it worth speaking? Here’s an example. Let’s say that a brother in the Lord shares with you in confidence that on a business trip, he strongly considered sleeping with a woman other than his wife. He told you so that you would pray for him and check in with him often, reminding him of God’s love and Word. If you tell one person, the chances are strong that person will tell two others. Those two will tell four others. Those four share the story with eight others. Somewhere along the way, instead of your friend considering sleeping with another woman, the act actually occurred in the retelling of the story. Soon, our little spark has become a forest fire and has destroyed a man’s character, and possibly, his marriage.


One way of ascertaining the words that proceed from your mouth is motive. Are the words being spoken to edify another and to glorify God? More likely, are the words being spoken to edify you? If we build ourselves up with our own words, God certainly will break us down, for he hates pride and exalts the humble.


5 Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for
“God resists the proud,
But gives grace to the humble.”
6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
1 Peter 5:5-7


If this is a problem area, know that it is for everyone. Even if we spend the rest of our lives emphasizing this issue, James reminds us that no man can tame the tongue! But what we need to remember is that we can improve, even though we never can conquer our tiniest member. Let the Holy Spirit guide you, and remind you, when you speak in self-edification or destruction rather than the edification of others. For the rest of the day, make a point of thinking of the words that emanate from you and how they can or will affect others. Glorify God!