James 3: 1-12
(1) Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment.
We who share our insights need to take special care that we speak only at the Lord's direction.
(2) For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well.
This is an amazing statement. The person who never says an untoward word is perfect! That means we all must watch what we say, and always consider before we reply. We all have offended with our words.
(3) Now we put the bits into the horses' mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their entire body as well.
(4) Look at the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot desires.
(5) So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things.
Tiny bits and small rudders. Tiny items that control mighty things. So is our tongue. A minor-sized organ that moves our whole lives!
See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire!
Just a tiny match, or candle, can burn down a whole forest.
(6) And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell.
Our tongue gets us into more trouble than any other body part. Our words that spill out of our mouths are dumping out what is overflowing our hearts.
(7) For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race.
(8) But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison.
Our tongue sometimes seems to have a mind of its own. It is untameable. To bridle the tongue we would have to bridle our brain! Our thinking processes and attitudes! This is what is so difficult to accomplish. We need changed hearts.
(9) With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God;
(10) from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these thing ought not to be this way.
This is not right, but it happens all the time! Opposite attitudes come pouring out, blessing and cursing.
(11) Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water?
A fountain cannot, but our mouth-hole does! What is our heart filled with, good or evil? It sometimes looks like--both!
(12) Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs?
Plants do what they're supposed to do: fig trees produce figs, olive trees produce olives, and grape vines bring forth grapes. They obey their directives from their Maker.
Nor can salt water produce fresh.
Aboard ships, reverse-osmosis brings potable water from the sea. But it takes a lot of energy to do it.
It takes a lot of consistent effort on our part to bring out blessings and encouragement to one another out of our human hearts. It's a constant battle. But God has given us His word and His Spirit to teach us His word, to overflow all the negative input that fills our hearts, and replace those bad attitudes with His love.
It's our responsibility to let Him do that, by getting into His word regularly, consistently, and to keep His ways on our minds constantly, especially in the crunch of life. It's when the stuff hits the fan that shows what we've been filling our minds with. When our minds are saturated with His ways, then they seep down into our hearts, too.
And our Father re-makes us, molding us into the very image of Christ's character. This is His miracle in us.
O my Father, help us to be faithful to You in imbibing Your good ways into our minds and thinking, to soak down into our hearts. Re-mold and re-make us, Father, wash away all the deceitful and harmful attitudes we've picked up from the world we live in. Replace them with Your good and healthy and beneficial ways that You designed into this world for us.
Father, help us to follow Your ways in all of our days, to enjoy the benefits and give You the glory. Your ways are not our ways, Father. We need You to lead us into the narrow path, guide us along that strait way that leads to Life.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!
