"The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell." James 3:6 (NIV)
So that's what the burning in my mouth is. I thought it was that whole can of jalapeno Pringles that I ate. I know it wasn't the buffalo wings.
That's some tough stuff from James. Here's some more tough stuff:
"With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be." James 3:9-10 (NIV)
Ouch! When did James write this epistle because I'm sure he must have been in all of our churches? I wonder, did he zip to our day and age, then get in his Delorean and head back to the first century?
I know that the Bible was written to a myriad of cultures long gone. I know that it wasn't written to people in our day and age. What I do see, however, is a striking revelation that in several thousand years, despite the preaching of many to the contrary, humans have not changed one bit. Not one! We are still the same prideful, spiteful, vindictive, and hurtful people that we were in Jesus' day.
Verbal abuse is not a laughing matter. It can carry long-reaching consequences. I would come home from school as a kid, crying because of the frequent barrage of taunts, slanders, verbal barbs, and downright hatred that I received as a child from my classmates. The old "sticks and stones" retort that we used when somebody said something mean is a lie that is only stated to cover up our pain at the words somebody else used. Truth be told, the words hurt more than any savage beating provided by sticks and stones.
This being said, I still have my head full of the lies that others have told me. I still have my head full of thoughts of my own worthlessness. When I contrast those words with the Truth of Scripture, I begin to understand my value; God said that I am worth the blood of His one and only Son! God said that about me! On the cross, He determined that I was more valuable than Himself, pouring Himself out as an offering for me so that I may be healed. The truth is that I am created in the image of God, and Jesus came so that I may have that image, an image that was tarnished by sin, restored fully by His grace.
Thus, when I encounter fellow Christians, grace should flow from their mouths, and I should be blessed by them, and I should bless them. I go to the church, even as a pastor, to find healing for my soul. Yet, I have found that even in the church, I can have my soul torn by the verbal barbs that are aimed at me, not to build up, but to tear down. Why?
Christians, listen to me! When you direct your verbal comments to another Christian, you are insulting the image of God! Would you call God some of the names that you call your brethren? When I step into the pulpit, provide counseling, or otherwise provide ministerial assistance to somebody, I am speaking and acting for God. When you identify yourselves as Christians, so are you. It's time we let our tongues practice what they preach.
So that's what the burning in my mouth is. I thought it was that whole can of jalapeno Pringles that I ate. I know it wasn't the buffalo wings.
That's some tough stuff from James. Here's some more tough stuff:
"With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be." James 3:9-10 (NIV)
Ouch! When did James write this epistle because I'm sure he must have been in all of our churches? I wonder, did he zip to our day and age, then get in his Delorean and head back to the first century?
I know that the Bible was written to a myriad of cultures long gone. I know that it wasn't written to people in our day and age. What I do see, however, is a striking revelation that in several thousand years, despite the preaching of many to the contrary, humans have not changed one bit. Not one! We are still the same prideful, spiteful, vindictive, and hurtful people that we were in Jesus' day.
Verbal abuse is not a laughing matter. It can carry long-reaching consequences. I would come home from school as a kid, crying because of the frequent barrage of taunts, slanders, verbal barbs, and downright hatred that I received as a child from my classmates. The old "sticks and stones" retort that we used when somebody said something mean is a lie that is only stated to cover up our pain at the words somebody else used. Truth be told, the words hurt more than any savage beating provided by sticks and stones.
This being said, I still have my head full of the lies that others have told me. I still have my head full of thoughts of my own worthlessness. When I contrast those words with the Truth of Scripture, I begin to understand my value; God said that I am worth the blood of His one and only Son! God said that about me! On the cross, He determined that I was more valuable than Himself, pouring Himself out as an offering for me so that I may be healed. The truth is that I am created in the image of God, and Jesus came so that I may have that image, an image that was tarnished by sin, restored fully by His grace.
Thus, when I encounter fellow Christians, grace should flow from their mouths, and I should be blessed by them, and I should bless them. I go to the church, even as a pastor, to find healing for my soul. Yet, I have found that even in the church, I can have my soul torn by the verbal barbs that are aimed at me, not to build up, but to tear down. Why?
Christians, listen to me! When you direct your verbal comments to another Christian, you are insulting the image of God! Would you call God some of the names that you call your brethren? When I step into the pulpit, provide counseling, or otherwise provide ministerial assistance to somebody, I am speaking and acting for God. When you identify yourselves as Christians, so are you. It's time we let our tongues practice what they preach.
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