JAMES 3:1-12
Think twice about teaching others!
Yet all of us are teachers.
All of us are impacting the lives of others -
family members, friends, co-workers, acquaintances.
Teachers have influence,
and those with greater influence have more responsibility.
And while we all stumble in many ways,
those with greater influence will impact the lives of more people when they stumble.
Those who do not sin with their words are considered perfect or mature,
because the tongue is the most difficult member of the body to train.
The powerful horse can be taught obedience through a bit in the mouth
and large ships, blown by mighty winds, can, by the captain's hand,
be turned by a small rudder.
Similarly, a small member of the body, the tongue, has great influence.
The tongue is likened to a forest fire, capable of vast destruction,
even when one's words are few.
It can incriminate the whole body by its utterances.
While man can tame every kind of animal,
the tongue continues to be like a beast with fangs full of venom, waiting for victims.
Yes, the tongue is capable of praising God and cursing man, God's creation.
Isn't that the same as lashing out against God?
How is it that both blessing and cursing come from the same source?
Two kinds of water, sweet and bitter, can not possibly come from the same spring!
Prayer:
God, we recognize that we are all teachers,
impacting the lives of those in our own spheres of influence.
Yet we struggle with our tongues.
We know we often stumble.
Our tongues sometimes tattle on us,
letting us know that we are not the people we desire to be,
wounding others,
failing to provide refreshment and encourage growth in those around.
Change our hearts, so that our words bless both You and others.
We need an infusion, a massive dose, of Your heart's compassion.
We want to be a people who build up,
according to the needs of those in our lifespaces,
rather than another member of the devil's demolition crew.
Help us. Show us the way.
Twila Charles Leichty
February 2010
Think twice about teaching others!
Yet all of us are teachers.
All of us are impacting the lives of others -
family members, friends, co-workers, acquaintances.
Teachers have influence,
and those with greater influence have more responsibility.
And while we all stumble in many ways,
those with greater influence will impact the lives of more people when they stumble.
Those who do not sin with their words are considered perfect or mature,
because the tongue is the most difficult member of the body to train.
The powerful horse can be taught obedience through a bit in the mouth
and large ships, blown by mighty winds, can, by the captain's hand,
be turned by a small rudder.
Similarly, a small member of the body, the tongue, has great influence.
The tongue is likened to a forest fire, capable of vast destruction,
even when one's words are few.
It can incriminate the whole body by its utterances.
While man can tame every kind of animal,
the tongue continues to be like a beast with fangs full of venom, waiting for victims.
Yes, the tongue is capable of praising God and cursing man, God's creation.
Isn't that the same as lashing out against God?
How is it that both blessing and cursing come from the same source?
Two kinds of water, sweet and bitter, can not possibly come from the same spring!
Prayer:
God, we recognize that we are all teachers,
impacting the lives of those in our own spheres of influence.
Yet we struggle with our tongues.
We know we often stumble.
Our tongues sometimes tattle on us,
letting us know that we are not the people we desire to be,
wounding others,
failing to provide refreshment and encourage growth in those around.
Change our hearts, so that our words bless both You and others.
We need an infusion, a massive dose, of Your heart's compassion.
We want to be a people who build up,
according to the needs of those in our lifespaces,
rather than another member of the devil's demolition crew.
Help us. Show us the way.
Twila Charles Leichty
February 2010
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