Title: What You Say Can Heal or Hurt
Text:
James 3:7-12 (ESV)
7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind,
8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God.
10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.
11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water?
12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.
Observation:
Notice who this letter is addressed to; it is to God's people.
James 1:1 (ESV)
1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings.
The Bible is speaking to you and me; to all of God's people. What we say, and how we say it matters; our words can heal and encourage, or they can hurt and harm if we don't tame our tongue. Notice what James says in this verse.
James 3:9 (ESV)
9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God.
James also said that when we talk like this we violate the royal law.
James 2:8 (ESV)
8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing well.
Our challenge is to learn to listen more and talk less; when we listen more we discover the needs of others, and to encourage them when it's the right time for us to speak. When we speak we should always make it our aim to speak the truth in love. It's not real love unless you speak the truth. How you say it matters, be kind.
James 1:19-20 (NLT)
19 Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.
20 Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires.
Prayer:
Father, hallowed be Your name; Your kingdom come, Your will be done. Father, we come to Your throne room of grace as needy people. Father, help us, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to talk less, and to listen more so that we can help others, and not hurt or harm them. In the mighty name of Jesus I pray, Amen.
Proverbs 15:1-2 (HCSB)
1 A gentle answer turns away anger, but a harsh word stirs up wrath.
2 The tongue of the wise makes knowledge attractive, but the mouth of fools blurts out foolishness.
Acts 6:4 (ESV)
4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word."
Psalm 65:2 (ESV)
2 O you who hear prayer, to you shall all flesh come.
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