My Nasty Words

James 3:1-12

Me, in the white dress,
 listening to my 1st grade teacher.

My first grade teacher would always tell us,   “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything!”  These are words to live by, words to remember for sure.  However, actually doing it, well if you are anything like me, is easier said than done.  Sometimes nasty words just fly out of my mouth and once said they can’t be unsaid.  I hate it when I do that.

Before I get too involved in pulling apart this section of scripture, I think we need to remember a few things.  James is talking to Jewish Christians.  Naturally, the church is beginning to grow and the gospel is being spread.  Our author is instructing them to be careful about being teachers.  Especially, he is addressing your actions not matching your faith, more specifically your words.  James expresses the seriousness of being a teacher of the Word and how our words can shame Jesus or bring His life.  Even today, so much damage to Christ’s message can happen when the bearers mutilate it with their words from their mouth. 

I think we learn three things from this passage of James. 

Our words can be powerful!

Vs. 5 the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches

I like the picture of a ship that James uses!

We went on a cruise and I was amazed on how this giant ship moved across the water.  Now the rudder I am sure was huge in comparison to little ole me.  But in comparison to the giant cruise ship it is not all that big.  The rudder moving just the tiniest of motion to the left or right can change the course of direction for that ship.  It can send us exactly to our destination or out in the middle of the ocean if not carefully controlled by the captain of that ship.

I control the direction of my words.  I can either direct them to life or death.  I can bring hope or destruction.  I can say very prideful things or I can keep humble silence.  I am the ships captain of my words.  I can steer them in the direction I choose.  But from the heart the mouth speaks. 

Luke 6:45

A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

I can encourage my children or I can tear them down.  I can say words of love to my husband or I can push him away with word of bitterness.  I can share Christ with those around me or I can say nothing.  I can lift up my brothers and sisters in Christ or I can tear them down.  I can say words of love to my enemy or I can say words of hate.  I am the captain of my words.  Which direction will I go?  Will I go towards Christ or in the opposite direction?

Our words can be deadly!

vs. 6 the tongue is a flame of fire

James uses a forest fire to also show how destructive, deadly our words can be.  Our words can ignite something so awful and completely devastating that there maybe nothing to repair the damage except through the power of a loving God... healing can come.

There is this area in northern Michigan, that I have driven through countless times, that was destroyed by a forest fire.  The damage was very extensive.  It has taken years for new growth to take place.  Even now, over ten years later, it is still not the forest it once was.  In fact, mixed in with the beautiful new growth, there are still remnants of the fire reminding us all of what happened there. 

I believe the same is true of our words.  We can say things that destroy relationships. There are words that tear marriages a part.  Children are forever changed by nasty words from parents.  How many bullies have driven teens to suicide by their mean, awful words? 

Our lies, our jealousy, our hate, our bitterness, our hurt is like that forest fire.  A spark of our tongue can destroy someone’s hope in a moment and then the destruction can last a life time.  Even if we apologize, make things right, and allow time for healing there will still be embers left as a reminder to all of the deadly power of our tongue. 

Our words can become out of control!

vs. 8 no one can tame the tongue

Lastly, in this portion of scripture James address how difficult it is to tame the tongue.  In fact he says no one can.  We can tame all sorts of animals; but our un-tamable tongue is “evil and full of deadly poison”.

James 3:10-11

Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God.   And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right!

Lord help us.  No wonder non-Christians call us a bunch of hypocrites if this is how we treat each other and sadly we do.  I have been in ministry long enough to see it in action.  We are a bunch of imperfect people for sure.  But thanks be to God, who does not leave us without help.  He knows how hard our words can be; because He knows our hearts. 

We are not left without the power of Christ ability to change us from the inside out.  But we must allow Him to change us….change our hearts…control our tongue.  Yes, we cannot tame our tongue; but, Christ can. 

Whew, there is hope! 

And with each new day, I can allow Christ to turn my nasty words into words of grace!

 GET JOY!

The Heart of Me

James 1:9-27

The rest of James 1 speaks right to the heart of me and who I am.  Sometimes, it is when God’s word is reflecting back at you who you really are…well it can be painful to look at.  Sadly, you might not like what is glaring back at you.  Sometimes we may say to ourselves, “I don’t look like much of anything of real value, much less a prized possession!”

I treasure this reminder in verses here 17-18

Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.   He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.

We need to remember how good our God is.  He loves us enough to change us into His image.  He puts new clothes on us.  He covers us with His feathers.  He is the one we call Abba or papa.  But He also shows us what old things to take off, to get rid of, to let go of.  The things that so easily trip us up, trip me up!

My money (vs. 9-11)

God knows what a stumbling block money is.  I understand how, in verses 9 -10, God shows us that He has honored the poor and humbled the rich.  That seems so weird to us westerners.  Sometimes, I get so caught up that if I have more money, I could give so much more.  But then I am reminded that to whom much is given much is required.  I have to answer to God in everything, even my finances.  God provides exactly what He means to.  It is me who must learn to be humbled.  I am rich compared to most of the world and a lot of the time I complain that we can’t go out to eat, buy new clothes, or see a movie.  God needs to humble me. 

My temptation (vs.12-15)

I appreciate it when God makes things very plain for us idiots.  God holds nothing back…He reveals here that He is not tempted and He most certainly does not tempt us to do wrong.  In the verses to follow, everything good and perfect comes from God, not sin and temptation to sin.  It is our own evil nature, my pastor calls it our Adamic nature (man’s propensity to sin), and our desires are what pull us away from Christ.  He also gives us a warning sign for us. 

When we are being tempted…watch out sin is lurking.  When we give into that sin death is breathing down our neck if repentance and turning away doesn’t come quickly. 

However, there is love tucked into these verses.  God knows us so well.  He knows our nature.  He knows sin is waiting to steal, kill, and destroy us.  But in verse 12, we see His love.  If we patiently endure testing and temptation; which alludes that it is absolutely possible to overcome temptation, He WILL bless us and give us eternal life when we endure.  We have to do our part and God whole heartedly does His.  Remember, God always keeps His promises.  We cannot give in, we must not give up, keep fighting patiently endure, and when we have done all to fight, stand!  And no worries, God gives us everything we need to fight temptation...He gives us Himself, His power, His Armor!

But God Always Digs Deeper

My actions (vs.19-25)

Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.  Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.

But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.   For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.

I ardently love these verses…they speak so real to me.  How often do I find my self talking so much that I never really listen to those around me?  How often am I rattling off words immediately wishing that I could unsay them; because I see the hurt in my children’s eyes?  How often do I snap at my husband for no reason?  I need to get rid of my old ways and put on God’s ways!  I need to wash, rinse, and repeat until I humbly accept what God is doing in me.  I must also then live a life that does what His Word says, not become lazy, and not walk away and forget.  I must be vigilant and God’s blessings will flow. 

And just when you thought…”I don’t struggle with any of this stuff!”    BAMM! He squeezes these last two verses in…..

My words (vs.26-27)

 God’s Word says it all; I don’t need to add anymore….

 If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.

(If only the Westboro church would heed this)

James 1 is full of good things for us when we do our part...

God

Gives you joy, growth,contentment.

Gives you wisdom.

Gives you honor if you are poor and you have to live in shame.

Gives you blessings.

Gives us a crown of life.

Gives us all that is good and perfect straight from heaven.

Gives us His Word planted in our hearts which saves us when we believe.

I am His prize possession!  I am going to live like I am!

GET JOY!

Proverbs 18 "Taming of the Tongue"

My daughter's tongue is pretty ugly here, thanks to Willy Wonka's Fun Dip! How sweet that little stick is that comes with the candy. However, the stuff you dip it into is pretty sour and it will change your tongue into various, bright colors. You can't hide the fact that you have eaten this candy, unless you don't say a word (and that is not possible with my children). It takes many hours and a few brushings for your tongue to get back to its normal pink color.

There is one thing my first grade teacher, Mrs. Harpan, taught us that has stuck over the years. She taught us the old saying, "If you can't say anything nice...don't say anything!"

I would be very mistaken if I never touched on the power of our words and how ugly our tongue can be. The book of Proverbs is drenched in words regarding our tongue. I am amazed at the power our words can have on us. Something, flippantly said years ago can still seem to have weight on who we are and others today.

This chapter alone has quite a few:

2 A fool finds no pleasure in understanding,but delights in airing his own opinions.

4 The words of a man's mouth are deep waters, but the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.

6 A fool's lips bring him strife, and his mouth invites a beating.

7 A fool's mouth is his undoing, and his lips are a snare to his soul.

8 The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man's inmost parts.

13 He who answers before listening— that is his folly and his shame.

20 From the fruit of his mouth a man's stomach is filled;with the harvest from his lips he is satisfied.

21 The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.

Let's look at three areas of our life:

Our past, we need to look back and remember the words of our past. First, let's make sure that we have not wronged anyone with our words. If we have, repent and apologize to them. Our words now can bring healing. But, also do not forget the words that have been said to us that have hurt and run deep. The words that have now become our inner dialogue about ourselves and have shaped who we are as individuals. Let's forgive and listen to what Christ has to say about us. Let's change the words that might have defined us in a negative way.

These verses remind me to guard my words in the present. How often that is so easy to forget?! In my own life, I need to watch what I say to my husband, my children, my family, my church family, my friends, my neighbors and even my enemies. My tongue, as verse 21 says, has the power of life and death. I want to bring life to my world around me. Help us Lord to watch every word.

In the future, we need to remember these verses. These verses will be a tool to help us control our mouths. There is one verse that stands out, it is a key for future words; 13 He who answers before listening— that is his folly and his shame. If we can just listen and think before we speak; maybe...just maybe we would be able to begin to control the tongue. We must remember that we need to bring all that we do into submission of Christ. On our own accord we will never be able to tame the strongest part of our body.

Lord, help my words bring You Glory and with that I will...

GET JOY!

Check out my friend's perspective on Chapter 18!