Every time we speak, people hear so much more than just the words we say. They hear how we say them. So, whenever we open our mouths to speak, we have an opportunity to encourage and give hope through our words and tone, or we have the ability to tear down and cause despair.
Jesus said what comes out of your mouth defiles you. So, we need to be mindful of the conversations we partake in. Be careful of the words we speak. Do they uplift and edify, or do they tear down and destroy? Make a conscious effort to speak kind words. Speak the truth. Make sure the conversations and words spoken are out of love. Ultimately your words spoken reflect your heart condition.
James explores this hypocrisy here in Chapter 3. Sometimes out mouths are fountains of "fresh water"- from which authentic, loving, life-giving words spring forth and sometimes they spew "salt water"- venomous, prideful speech. "Out of the same mouth comes praise and cursing," he observes.
But this dual nature is fundamentally wrong. The same spring cannot produce both fresh and salty water. Neither should our tongues produce both loving and venomous words. Perhaps what James was suggesting was that a tongue which utters curses indicates a heart that is not truly displaying the love of Christ at all.
James reminds us that when we curse others through our angry speech, empty flattery, or sarcastic comments, we are attacking someone made in God's image and likeness (v.9). Each person carries the imprint of God and is made by His hands. What hypocrisy it is when we become angry and unforgiving with our speech towards another person, all the while knowing how God treats His children with unfailing love and compassion. When we fail to forgive, we have forgotten that God has forgiven us and furthermore, that He has forgiven them. "Salty" speech promulgates condemnation; "pure" speech proclaims mercy.
Friend, our words are very powerful. Do you know that when we “speak” things, we are “creating things?” When we speak helpful words, we create goodness in the life of another person. When we speak about things that aren’t true, we light fires of chaos and send them spreading throughout our lives and the lives of others.
Surrender your heart to Him. Surrender your language to Him. Surrender your conduct to Him. Surrender every area of your heart over to Him.
Prayer: Lord, I surrender my heart, mind, and mouth to you today. I repent for times when I fell short in the ways I have spoken. I ask and receive your forgiveness and grace to turn away from my sin. I pray that you will increase my awareness of the power in my words. I pray for wisdom to steward my speech in a way that is pleasing to you. Holy Spirit, I need you. I pray that I speak life and encouragement today. I will declare words of love and kindness to encourage and edify myself and those around me. I love you. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.
Scripture Reference
Ephesians 4:29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
Psalms 39:1 I said, “I will watch my ways and keep my tongue from sin; I will put a muzzle on my mouth
while in the presence of the wicked.”
1 Peter 3:10-11 “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech. They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue it.
James 3:3-12 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. Can both fresh water and saltwater flow from the same spring? My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olive, or a grapevine bear fig? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.