Don't Let The Cat Get Your Tongue

In trying to keep posts up every few days, I have found my self being distracted more. I pray for better time managment on my part, and less distrations on the perimeter.



In reading this week, I came across James 3.

1(A) Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 2For(B) we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says,(C) he is a perfect man,(D) able also to bridle his whole body. 3If we put(E) bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. 4Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5So also the tongue is a small member, yet(F) it boasts of great things.

How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 6And(G) the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members,(H) staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life,[a] and set on fire by hell.[b] 7For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 8but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil,(I) full of deadly poison. 9With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people(J) who are made in the likeness of God. 10From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers,[c] these things ought not to be so. 11Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? 12Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.

This is one of the greatest charges that James gives us in my oppinion. How are we to praise God if we cut down our fellow bothers and sisters. I have developed a sharp toungue in my life. I can be witty at times but like a small spark, I have set off forest fires. Words can divide or unite. Most wars are started not by acts of violence or aggression but with words. They are like arrows. Once they are released, they can not be taken back. They are gone landing where they were aimed.

How often do we share this duplicity of mind like Paul talks about to say that we sing and praise God on Sunday morning, we may pray before we eat, we may even be responsible to teach the body of Christ, but we revert back to the old way of speaking.

I realize that non of us are perfect. But we have to stive for a singleness of mind. James makes it clear: 10From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers,[c] these things ought not to be so. 11Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? 12Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.

I pray we the members of the body of Christ would continue to "die to our old self." And that we would purposefully watch our words as to not let the 'old man' have dominion over our words.