Thursday, August 22, 2019

James the Just - Part 9 - Taming the Tongue

Friday, August 23, 2019

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.  People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, but no one can tame the tongue.  It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison.  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!  James 3: 6-10

Finish this statement with me – Sticks and stones may break my bones, but….
You and I know that is not true.  Anyone  can tell you in a moment the hurt they have received in their lifetime – from words either carefully aimed to wound, or words carelessly dropped that stung just as badly.
A child has a fragile makeup emotionally.  Our words or temper out of control for just an instant can deliver a blow that will cause a lifetime of punctured dreams and hopes.  We, with our words, can drive someone down a pathway of doubt and second-guessing.
On the other hand, we can speak words of kindness.  Every wedding I do, I suggest the bride and groom speak the words of kindness from Ruth as they light the unity candle.  It is the only way to start a marriage – committing to kindness.
Jesus said we’d be His witnesses.  We sometimes sing the hymn, Wonderful Words of Life in worship:  Sweetly echo the gospel call, Wonderful words of life;
    Offer pardon and peace to all, Wonderful words of life;[2]
When you go to the doctor, often he will ask you to stick out your tongue to examine it.  He can tell a lot about what’s going on inside you just by looking at your tongue.  The Great Physician can also tell if there is a revival or a riot going on by your words.
Selwyn Hughes is the author of Everyday Walk with Jesus.  In an interview he told about his grandfather. 
In 1904 Wales had a great Holy Spirit revival when a hundred thousand people were converted in six months without any preaching, just God coming down, touching peoples' lives.  The miners underground would suddenly stop working and cry out to God to become converted.  In schools youth and children would have their heads on the desk weeping, and the teacher, often a Christian, would pray with them, leading them to Christ.
Such was the impact of this movement of the Holy Spirit, this awesome flood of God that was going through Wales, that many of the drinking saloons, the public houses closed down…. 
One of the men who was converted in that revival was my grandfather.  He was a miner.  His job was leading the horses that pulled the tubs of coal from the mine.
My grandfather was a blasphemer and had a filthy tongue.  The way he used to train his horses was by swearing at them.  Then he got converted, and for days the horses didn't know what to do because he wouldn't swear at them.  They had to learn a new language.  So even the horses knew there was a revival going on because the change was so dramatic. 
My grandfather then led my mother to Christ.  My mother led my father to Christ.  My father led me to Christ.  So I see myself as a product of that revival.[3]
For You Today
So, this morning, let’s conduct a tongue checkup. 
n  Are your words teaching valuable character?
n  Are your words leading in positive pathways?
n  Are your words healing?
n  Are your words being used by the Holy Spirit to lead others to Christ?
The tongue is your most powerful muscle.  To have it under control this way is to follow Jesus. 
You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day.

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[1] Title Image:  Courtesy of  Wikimedia Commons     Unless otherwise noted, Scripture used from The New Living Translation©
[2] Words and tune WORDS OF LIFE, Philip P. Bliss, 1874.
[3] From an interview with Selwyn Hughes, author of Everyday Walk with Jesus Growing Churches, Spring 2001, p.12

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