A Word Aptly Spoken
James 3: 1-12
"A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. ...The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit."
(Proverbs 15:1, 4)
The Commonwealth gained courage when Winston Churchill spoke; Martin Luther King stirred hope in weary hearts; Mother Theresa lifted downcast souls with gentle speech; but the world convulsed at the sound of Hitler's voice. What we say can change the course of history! What is your own speech like? Do people hear gossip, ridicule or foul language when you open your mouth? Or do they hear respect, love, courage, and hope?
Solomon frequently addressed our speech in Proverbs. "A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver," (25:11) he wrote. As the wisest man in the world, he knew the impact speech would have on listeners. Jesus, the King of kings, also spoke directly to this same issue, but added another layer of understanding: "out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks" (Matthew 12:34). Our words reveal what is in our hearts. Praise God that out of the overflow of His heart of love for us, Jesus has spoken words of life and hope that we may in turn speak His love to others.
INSIGHT
Proverbs 25:12 tells us that even a rebuke can be beautiful if done in love. All our words can bring hope and healing!
READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Deuteronomy 7-8
Psalm 83
Acts 5-6
James 3:1-12
New Living Translation (NLT)
Controlling the Tongue
3 Dear brothers and sisters,[a] not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2 Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.
3 We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. 4 And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. 5 In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches.
But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. 6 And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.[b]
7 People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, 8 but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. 9 Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. 10 And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! 11 Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? 12 Does a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? No, and you can’t draw fresh water from a salty spring.[c]
Footnotes:
a. James 3:1 Greek brothers; also in 3:10.
b. James 3:6 Or for it will burn in hell (Greek Gehenna).
c. James 3:12 Greek from salt.
HONOR THE SACRIFICE
God promises those who honor Him, He will honor. But how does God want us to honor Him?
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