St.
James 3:1-12 | King
James Version (KJV)
My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.
My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.
2 For in many things we offend all. If any
man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the
whole body.
3 Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths
that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.
4 Behold also the ships, which though they
be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a
very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth.
5 Even so the tongue is a little member,
and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!
6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of
iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body,
and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.
7 For every kind of beasts, and of birds,
and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of
mankind:
8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an
unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
9 Therewith bless we God, even the Father;
and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.
10 Out of the same mouth proceedeth
blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
11 Doth a fountain send forth at the same
place sweet water and bitter?
12 Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear
olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water
and fresh.
This
lesson is timeless and yet the truths herein are applicable to our 21st
century society.
How many
people, when they were children, said, “I want to be a teacher when I grow up!”
James is warning against the desire to be in a position of influence and
instruction because should you be found in sin, you would be judged more
severely than those whom you teach.
In the
first 5 verses of this chapter, James gives us something to think about. Horses
are large and possibly fierce animals, yet we exert control over them and guide
them with bits. The rudder is proportionally smaller than the whole ship, and
it is used to direct the sail of a gigantic vessel. Finally, our tongues are
small members of our own bodies. We know that it is the strongest muscle in the
human body; it’s made up of one large muscle, it heals faster than any part of
our body, not to mention we use it for speaking and eating. So, why is James
describing it as such a fiery and dangerous thing? It is because of the nature
of man to not control his speech and words. Or, even worse, say one thing today
and wallow in contradiction the next. This behavior is not Godly and will lead
to destruction.
Side Note: James is absolutely right!
This is both natural and spiritual. Think about presidents, congressional
members, and other political figures. The best of the best hire speech writers
to make sure that their words are guarded. Speechwriters are also hired to
write the toast for weddings, as during this occasion, these words will make a
lasting impression for years to come. You don’t want to just be impromptu, when
it really counts. Besides, there is always SOMEONE out there hanging on your
every word! Reading a teleprompter or off of a sheet of paper keeps the
presenter on track and safe with their words. Many times you hear of celebrities
giving their opinions on camera, only to have to recant them, in public view
later (to keep their endorsements and ratings!) Even
songwriters and lyricists lose big time because they didn’t control their
tongues! Now, back to the spiritual…
As Saints
of God, our “conversation” needs to be holy and always pointing back to God.
Conversation means holy living and speech. We’re focusing on speech now. Peers,
family, co-workers, family, and friends are always watching and listening. If
you say that you are God’s child and you’re representing Christ, you’d better
mean it. You can’t claim to be a spiritual leader, and exhibit the
characteristics of someone who knows nothing of the love and grace of God.
Side note: Have you ever encountered
a person who was “anointed and appointed”, but was bitter and impatient? Sour
and unloving? Irritated with others and insincere? When this person is
approached and asked why they act the way they do, their response is, “Everybody
who knows me, knows that this is the way I am…”, as if this makes it
acceptable. I pray that this is not amongst the brethren (or sisteren) because
it is NOT right. You can never have both at the same time!
Most
pastors make sure that they can be a witness of a person’s spiritual maturity
before they are placed in leadership roles in the church to lead other souls. A
Godly spiritual leader will speak God’s truth and them live by it, so as to be
an example to those who will look to them as a role-model or spiritual mentor.
As a wise
relationship counselor, Mother Romanetha Stallworth conducted a thought-provoking
workshop concerning the importance of using words to heal and not destroy. She
passed out small tubes of toothpaste, toothpicks, and small paper plates. She
asked participants to squeeze all of the toothpaste out onto the plate. Then,
she allowed groups time to put the toothpaste back into the tube using the
toothpick. Needless to say, it was not possible to do and things began to get
very messy. She went on to teach that this is how it is when we carelessly
distribute our words and hurt others; they can never be taken back, and there
is usually quite a mess.
With God,
all things are possible, even the control of our tongue. Discipline in anything
takes practice and perseverance. Taming the tongue is no different. If we allow
our words to be seasoned with grace and temperament, in the Holy Ghost, we can pronounce
blessings over our lives and into the lives to others. We must be willing to
submit to God.
