Verse of the Day - James 3:9-10

We use our tongues to praise our Lord and Father, but then we curse people, whom God made like himself. Praises and curses come from the same mouth! My brothers and sisters, this should not happen.
~ James 3:9-10 (NCV)

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The more and more I think about James, I think maybe he was like John Wayne...or Clint Eastwood...or Charles Bronson. He never pulled any punches, shot straight from the hip, and gave it to us with both barrels. And these verses are no exception. He doesn't let us get away with being double-minded about how we use our mouths, without telling it like it is.

You praise God and curse men from the same mouth...

What if you turned on your kitchen faucet one day, and from the cold water side you got fresh water, and from the hot water side you got contaminated water? How could you guarantee the health of you and your family with that threat? One day, you might be safe, but heaven forbid someone hits the hot water by mistake. And what about the dishwasher? It uses hot water. And what about your showers and baths? You use hot water for those, too. You would be running terrible risks for your whole household! So, you would do whatever it took to fix the problem and restore your water system.

So, why do we let contaminated stuff come out of our mouths toward other people? Why do we think it's okay to give God praise and then yell obscenities at our kids or our spouse? Who gave us the right to use our tongue as a weapon of mass destruction? And what does God think of the praise from our mouth when we also wield that weapon on humanity? Do the two counteract each other? Hmm...

Bottom line is that people are made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27) and God expects us to honor His most beloved creation. James says that as we honor God, so we should honor people with our words. I would go so far as to say that the proper use of our tongue toward other people is an act of worship to God, because we're laying down on the altar our selfish weapon, and allowing God to turn it into a scepter of love. Useful for dispensing kindness, not slashing hearts. To be wielded for compassion, not malice.

Has God changed your tongue from a weapon of war into a scepter of love? Check yourself today and every day, and give over to Him your tongue, which carries great power to destroy or build up.

Love,
Joelene