Devotional - February 15, 2023
James 3: 3-6 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 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. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
In today's text, James is using some proverbial wisdom (Proverbs 4:23, 12:18, 18:21). Jesus, on the other hand, speaks specifically to it in His teachings (Matthew 12:34, Luke 6:45). Jame's approach is interesting because he does not speak so much to the condition of the heart as he does to controlling it. In some ways, he accepts that the heart may not have good intentions (Mt 15: 19-20, Mk 7: 21-23) and tells his reader, the church, to deal with it. He is pretty brash in doing so. He likens it to putting a bit in a horse's mouth. As you can imagine, the horse is not happy when this happens and resists it. After a little pushing, they accept it, and can be controlled afterward. James was doing the same thing with the church in Jerusalem. Like the horse, I doubt they want to accept what James was saying either. But, James speaks the truth. Words become conversation (the tongue) which grow into rumors and norms in the church. In the end, they direct it's course. They become the message the church sends to it's community, both within the congregation and the greater community around it. Words create the character the church is known by. Our words toward one another matter. I like how James points out being boastful. It's so true. We like to make a little more of ourselves than may exist. We like to boast a bit knowing most will never find out the truth. It's okay, a little boasting is normal. However, it becomes a problem when we do so in an attempt to prove ourselves better than others. That can result in the conflagration James goes on to explain. When pride and envy and jealousy come into play, people get angry and who knows where things go from there. Well, we do know. Destruction. It happens in our own life, just like it can happen in the life of a church. The solution, for James, is to tighten our grip on the rudder of the ship. When we hear evil being kindled, take charge, extinguish it. If not just for our own sake, then for the sake of Christ's church. But this goes for our own lives too, we allow some of the worst kind of thinking to exist in our own soul. What do we think the outcome of such corruption will bring? Do we think it doesn't matter? It does (Pr 23:7). Extinguish it, control it, and be at peace.
Pray with me.., Holy God, we confess our words, our hearts, can become inflamed with all sorts of evil. Worse yet, we spread that evil to others. Help us during such times to remember who we are in You. Teach us to live good and healthy lives. Bless our loved ones, we pray, according to their needs. And, continue to bless our church that we can be the people You call us to be, in Jesus name, Amen.
God's peace,
Pastor Brian
