James 3: 5-10
5 Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 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. 7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, 8 but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse me, who have been made in God's likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be...
Did you know that 50% of the bacteria in the mouth live on the surface of the tongue? The phrase potty mouth is popular among people who use specific four letter words to enhance their speech, but this gives it a whole new twist.
What we say can have tremendous effects on those around us. We can build our friends, co-workers, family members, and strangers up with what we say, but seconds later destroy the hearts of those same people with the words we use. James compares the tongue to a wildfire within a large forest. The tongue is also compared to animals, reptiles, and creatures of the sea, all of which are difficult to tame at times. The point of these comparisons are to show how possible it is to tame fire, snake, cats, fish, and so much more, but yet the tongue is an out of control body part that causes destruction and just like poison, death.
We do so many good things with our tongues: singing praises, communicate advice to our friends, taste the food we are blessed with, etc. We also do horrible things with our tongues: cursing, lying, mocking, and sometimes the worst of all is our denial to speak on behalf of our Savior when opportunities arise. God has made man in his own image. We are to treat our body as a temple of God. When we curse our friends or someone who cuts us off on the interstate, we are defacing God's temple, but not only that, we are defacing our witness for Christ. We have been called to worship God, take the good news to everyone on the planet, and be positive to those we are surrounded by. Our nature is to come up with our own way through our day, which unfortunately leads to messing up and hurting others (including God).
Today, a student dropped the 'F' bomb within 3 feet of me as if I were not even there. When I confronted the kid, he acted as if he hadn't done anything wrong. TV, radio, secular music, movies, video games, and even magazines have created a monster in not only teenagers, but in our society. The things you surround yourself with will ultimately show up in your own life.
If my goal is to live my life as a constant prayer, and I curse someone or something, I am ultimately cursing Christ. That hits home, to know that I am cursing the One who died for me.
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