James,
chapter three, has a lot to say about the tongue. These verses are sort of
discouraging…If anyone thinks himself to be
religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this
man's religion is worthless. James 1:26
…But no one can tame the tongue; it
is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. James 3:8. But read on…all of
James three and four. Submitting to God is the key. See James 4:5-8. Ask Him to
help you…I have and only through the Lord’s help, my tongue is more gracious to
others. It starts in my head…as a man (or woman) thinks, so he is. It is also a
heartfelt thing—I don’t want to offend others—deep in my heart I do want to be
nice—to be like Jesus to others. Yet sometimes something mean and rotten just
slips out. Where does that come from? It is right out of James 3:8. Blame it on
Satan if you like—he does try to influence us even if we are Christian. If our
hearts are not aligned with God…then evil slips in and comes right out. Keep
your heart, soul, and mind filled with God and what comes out of your in
thoughts, words and actions will be Christ centered. Sounds simple—but we are
only human. Try it for yourself.
Training Tip – Do you have access to a bit and bridle? Do you know
anyone with a horse? If not take your family to a store that sells bridles. Explain
how the bit fits into the horse’s mouth and how the rider steers the horse.
Zander will remember this from his horse riding class last summer! Explain that
God used that same idea in the Bible as an example for us to “bridle” our
tongues—to control what we say.
Lord Jesus, help us to speak kindly to others, like
You.
All
scripture quoted from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) unless otherwise
noted.
© 2013 by Mickey
M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.
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