James 3:7 “All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, 8 but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With the tongue we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, this should not be! 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers, can a fig tree grow olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.”
We work in northeastern Ghana. Here many of our borehole wells have a problem; the water is clean enough, but there is a lot of sulfur in the water, causing the water to have a strange taste. Sometimes this sulfur flavor convinces people to get water from other sources that aren’t as safe. How frustrating to approach a well, thinking that you will get a drink of clear, cold, fresh – tasting water, only to find that the water is bitter!
In one of Oswald Chambers’ writings, he warns about the dangers of “spiritual measles,” a phenomenon in which we look like examplary Christians in some spots, but like reprobate sinners in others! Jesus addressed this problem when speaking with the Pharisees. Matthew 12: 33 – 37 “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out of his good store of treasure, and the evil man brings evil things out of his evil store of treasure. But I tell you that men will give an account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”
OUCH! How many times a day do we say good things to some people, only to turn around and say biting things to someone else? Even if we don’t actually curse, we can still be unkind and critical. At the end of the day, have we spoken healing and encouragement to others, or have we left a trail of lacerated feelings behind us? Are our tongues poisonous? May God help us to listen to what we are saying and to change, so that we are speaking life and health and not death!
PRAYER; Father God, we need help! We have great intentions, but our words still hurt and wound people. Lord, change our hard stony hearts for hearts of flesh, so that we will speak life and not death, encouragement and not discouragement. Help us to minister love to those around us by the words we speak. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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