Ladies,
We are a little bit closer to Christmas today! Although I am not wishing this season to pass too quickly. I am enjoying every December day with my two little guys and my grown up guy (my hubby haha). Our little boys make everything magical and a little bit crazy! The best memories and moments of life are usually sprinkled with a bit of unexpected crazy on top!
Thinking along the lines of the unexpected, I am sometimes surprised at what comes out of my mouth. I haven’t been one who easily bridals her tongue. According to this chapter that is a simple indicator that worldly wisdom is abiding in my heart and not wisdom from above! (vs.13-18)
Reading through James 3 left me quite challenged this morning! Let’s look at the few verses in the beginning of the chapter.
Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body. Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth. Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!
James 3:3-5
Here God is telling us that our tongues may be small but they hold an incredible amount of power. Our speech is a weighty, serious matter. A horse’s bit and the helm of a ship may be small but they can make drastic changes for good or bad. It is the same with our tongue. Words are not said and then simply forgotten. We can examine the very way we speak and know if we are someone with a meek spirit or one struggling with envy and strife.
Now that we know the tongue’s importance, let’s think about taming it.
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.
James 3:6-8
To be honest, that is not very encouraging! We just learned that the tongue is so very important but now we are being told that no man can tame it! Thankfully we are all aware that God is with us and will never forsake us, even in our battles against the tongue.
It was timely of God to have me to read Ezekiel 36 the same day I was reading about the tongue . If you have the chance, read Ezekiel 36: 25-26 and 35-36. Our God never ceases to amaze me! I am in awe of Him in this chapter. He is the God of renewal! We see several big changes in these verses:
- A filthy people to a clean people
- A stony heart to a heart of flesh
- A desolate land to a land like the Garden of Eden
- A wasted, ruined city to a city that is fenced and inhabited
The Lord has shown himself strong enough to change the worst situation into something beautiful. With the same power that God possesses to change an entire land and people, He can also change our speech! It’s interesting to note that in Ezekiel 36:36, God tells us that his purpose for cleansing Israel is ultimately to glorify his name. He wants the heathen to know that He is the Lord.
James 3 is a huge challenge to watch our tongue and evaluate how we speak. If we are using our tongue for wickedness, it is a call to change. God clearly tells us that man alone can not tame his tongue. We must be in fellowship with our sweet Savior who holds the power to change our filthy speech into clean speech. When our speech is edifying to the Lord, we have the opportunity to show the lost around us that we truly are different. Changing our speech is not to glorify our own name but to honor the Lord and showcase his work in our life!
-Emily Wilkerson
Psalm145five 