- James
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It has been said that the tongue is, at the same time, both the world’s smallest and largest troublemaker. James says it this way, “The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.” James 3:6 (NIV)
James identifies the tongue as a fire. Granted, there are no physical flames, but the tongue has great incendiary powers that can do great damage to relationships and quickly spread to other areas of our lives. Believers also need to be aware of its destructive capabilities in the church.
When you get right down to it, the tongue is an agent of the sin in all of us. Because of that, none of us is fully capable of controlling it.
No person can tame the tongue, but Christ can. This involves a surrender, on our part, of our mind and heart. When we surrender, the Holy Spirit will give us ever increasing power to monitor and control what we say. If we are offended or criticized for no reason, the Holy Spirit will remind us of God’s love for us and give us the strength not to hastily react. If we are hurt, the Holy Spirit will heal that hurt.
Ask the Holy Spirit to direct your thoughts and actions every day. Don’t try to do it by yourself. You simply don’t have it in you.
Your Pastor,
David Hulme
Senior Pastor