James 3 tells us this
“Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2 Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.
3 We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. 4 And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. 5 In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches.
But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. 6 And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.
7 People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, 8 but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. 9 Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. 10 And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! 11 Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? 12 Does a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? No, and you can’t draw fresh water from a salty spring.”
From pastors to politicians, we all have something to say, and the power of our words can resonate deeply within our communities and beyond. What are you saying? Are you offering up encouragement, uplifting those around you with positive messages and hope, or are you teaching something that is not encouraging or helpful? In a world that often feels divided, the impact of our communication becomes even more critical. It’s essential to reflect on whether our contributions foster understanding and compassion or if they inadvertently sow seeds of discord and negativity. As we express our thoughts, let’s strive to be voices of reason and empathy, ensuring that our messages promote healing and growth rather than division and despair.
James starts off talking about pastors but because we are all part of the church we need to be aware of who we are and what we are teaching each other.
In society today we seem to have more talkers than listeners. Maybe it’s always been this way but with the added “benefit????” Of social media everyone has a voice. You don’t even have to identify yourself, you can just click away anonymously and say anything you want. We have all been affected by it.
The challenge for you as a Christ follower and a man is how you will use the information you have. Our words matter. Will you uplift someone or bring them down? In today’s political climate, it’s easy to take extreme positions. We witnessed another attempt on the president’s life over the weekend. Many believe that the way people express their opinions influences this. I tend to agree.
As a man of God, you have a profound responsibility to tame your tongue. A couple of reasons to tame your tongue are; one, so you don’t diminish your voice. We all see those who seem to have the ability to speak before they think, often leading to misunderstandings and hurt feelings. When you engage in hasty speech, you risk undermining your credibility and creating barriers between you and others. You don’t listen to what they have to say, so why would anyone listen to what you have to say? Instead, take the time to listen before you speak, and measure your words carefully. By doing this, you cultivate an atmosphere of respect and understanding, allowing meaningful dialogue to flourish. Two, leave room for God to work. It’s easy for men to be problem solvers, yet not every situation you come across requires a solution from you. We have talked before about the difference between a problem to solve and a tension to manage. Sometimes, the most powerful action is to step back and allow divine intervention; after all, does every challenge truly need a human remedy? If so, does it have to be you? By practicing restraint and patience, you open the door for God’s wisdom to guide you and others toward resolutions that may exceed your own understanding.
So how do you tame your tongue? What do you do?
I would like to see what would happen if we started to say less. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying you don’t speak up to things that are wrong, of course you do, but I want to encourage you to see if you speak less where God will speak for you.
Looking forward to our conversations!
-Bryan
ETHOS 4 LIFE 