This week's message is quite short as we spent time focusing on our youth's trip to CHIC this summer.
Have you ever looked out the window at an airport at a huge jumbo-jet and wondered at the fact that one little person at the controls of that plane is controlling the whole thing? Or perhaps you’ve seen a navy battleship or aircraft carrier and been amazed how though it takes many people to keep it running, it only takes one person to steer it.
Today’s scripture is all about little things that have control over big things: A bit in a horse’s mouth; a spark that can burn down a forest; a rudder that can control a ship; and a tongue that can influence a person so much.
Now I like the fact that the scripture today comes at this issue of taming the tongue from a number of different directions. It really spends some time talking about the issue in different ways to help you wrap your mind around it. But, because we were remembering CHIC this week and I don’t have much time today, I just want to look at one specific thing that today’s scripture says. It’s in verses 9 and 10.
“With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth comes praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be.”
These verses remind us that our relationship with God is intimately related to our relationships with those around us. We cannot pretend to love God and live in hatred of God’s people. I understand this truth. I believe it! And yet, I find that I also have difficulty bridling my tongue.
Now I have to acknowledge that it may not always seem like that. Working in Chicago, some co-workers sometimes marveled at my even-keeled temperament. One time I went into a friend’s office after having been in a staff meeting where we all were yelled at for something we had no control over. You see, our boss didn’t get this concept of taming the tongue and was perfectly willing to scream and yell at us when he felt like it. I was seething mad and furious about it, as were my co-workers. I went into my friends office and sat down to talk about what we had just been through. I started out, “I am so angry right now!” My friend looked at me and wondered, “You are?”
I don’t always show my anger, but it does cause me to say some stupid, hurtful things that I should never say. I think all of us can think of something that we said to someone that we wish we had never said. And usually it is anger that brings out these horrible comments. And the sad truth is that you can never take them back. You can apologize. You can beg forgiveness. You can even be forgiven by the person you have hurt, but relationships are changed and broken down by hurtful words.
As children we are taught a rhyme that is the lie that we are supposed to pretend is true. “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me!” Perhaps we think that if we say this enough we will be able to actually believe it.
James has an important message for us here. Words do damage. The tongue is the most dangerous weapon we have. And we are called, we are implored, to control our tongues, to step back from the moment and stop ourselves from saying things that tear people down.
This morning we all joined together in praising God. We worshipped in song as we do every Sunday. Our songs may have been a little different but our tongues were filled with praise. Praising God is more than just an activity for us. It is more than just something we do. It is who we are created to be. And when we praise God we are saying that we are that very thing that God has created us to be.
Let today’s praise be a center of your life that defines for you what else you will be doing with your tongue. Let your speech be a speech that praises, not one that curses. When you speak to those around you are you speaking with love or out of hatred? James makes it very clear. The same mouth should not be praising and cursing. Which path are you going to take? The path of praise?
We gain power when we learn to tame our tongue. We end up with a bit more control in our lives. Our relationships with those around us are improved when they are no longer having to get past painful and hurtful things that we have said to them. And, best of all, we are better able to focus on praising God and worshiping him when our tongues aren’t tied up with curses.
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