James 3

Have you ever said anything you regretted? Silly question, I know. Have you ever hurt someone's feelings with something you said? To make it a little less painful but a little more impactful, have you ever known anyone who has been hurt and turned away from the church because of something someone said to them? Sure, we don't serve God or attend church for other people, but the words we say can have tremendously devastating effects on a person. The third chapter of James shows how passionate the author is about the way we speak. Shamefully, we can speak beautifully at times (well not me but some people) and yet tear down someone at other times, both from the same mouth. The tongue, our words, can't be tamed. James felt it such a major issue that he said you can't even compare it to a beast, because all beasts have been tamed by man. But there's not a man alive or gone that can tame the tongue.

James addresses the teachers at the beginning of the chapter, because if anyone's going to be heard by groups of people, they're at even more risk to "stumble in word". If anyone never stumbled in word, they must be perfect in every other way, according to James, because this is just that difficult a task to accomplish. Speech comes from the inward character. Therefore, we must have our words coming from the Holy Ghost, because "no spring yields both salt water and fresh."

In Verse 13 the writer instructs that any knowledge we have, any ability, any good thing we do, should not be professed. He says here that the truth will lead us to conduct ourselves in meekness of wisdom, or purely for the benefit of the kingdom. By contrast, if our conduct is self-seeking, confusion and every evil thing are there. Why do I do the things I do? What are my motivations? Do I insist that I be the one to get credit? If I wash the church windows, do I put my hand out for payment? Not if I'm conducting myself with the wisdom from above. Another bit of down-to-earth good soul searching truth to help make sure what I say and what I do are careful, with meekness and wisdom from God.

Joey Hart