December 12
James 1:1-3:18
Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me. Sadly, this nursery rhyme is completely bogus. Words have power and can cause pain that lasts longer than any broken bone. James wants us to understand the power of words. Our tongue is compared to a rudder on a ship and a flame in a fire. Our words can cause great healing or destruction depending on how we use them. We have all experienced this as words have probably deeply hurt us while also bringing great encouragement to us. So, we need to ask ourselves, how we are using our speech. James 1:19 gives us some tips to ensure that our speech brings life. We are told that we need to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry. Notice we need to use our ears and be in touch with our emotions before we speak. If we speak without listening, we will not know what to say and, if we talk without thinking about how we feel, we may find ourselves lashing out in destructive ways.
Therefore, we need to be slow to speak, so that we have time to consider whether our words are going to be helpful for the individual and glorifying to God. We need the wisdom James speaks of to help us understand how to honor God and love others with the words we use today.
Father God, help me to encourage others with the encouragement I have received from you. Help me to honor and glorify you with the way I speak today. Amen.
Consider what you need to work on today: being quick to listen, slow to speak, or slow to become angry. How can you grow in this area?
Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me. Sadly, this nursery rhyme is completely bogus. Words have power and can cause pain that lasts longer than any broken bone. James wants us to understand the power of words. Our tongue is compared to a rudder on a ship and a flame in a fire. Our words can cause great healing or destruction depending on how we use them. We have all experienced this as words have probably deeply hurt us while also bringing great encouragement to us. So, we need to ask ourselves, how we are using our speech. James 1:19 gives us some tips to ensure that our speech brings life. We are told that we need to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry. Notice we need to use our ears and be in touch with our emotions before we speak. If we speak without listening, we will not know what to say and, if we talk without thinking about how we feel, we may find ourselves lashing out in destructive ways.
Therefore, we need to be slow to speak, so that we have time to consider whether our words are going to be helpful for the individual and glorifying to God. We need the wisdom James speaks of to help us understand how to honor God and love others with the words we use today.
Father God, help me to encourage others with the encouragement I have received from you. Help me to honor and glorify you with the way I speak today. Amen.
Consider what you need to work on today: being quick to listen, slow to speak, or slow to become angry. How can you grow in this area?
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