Good or Bad…what is flowing from our well?
What kind of words are coming out of our mouths? Are we being kind or filled with sour bitterness? These verses from the Bible in James, are so clear. We choose what we say. We can pour out all of our inner anguish or choose to bless others. We can scream bitter angry words or forgive and ask the Lord to heal our hearts. We can put others down to make ourselves feel better or we can lift up others without needing praise from others.
Choices all given to us from the Lord God, our creator, who gives us the ability to choose our thoughts, words and deeds. There are consequences from each choice we make, both good and bad. One sign of a mature person is the ability to accept others without judgment. Not an easy task, but each time we choose to bless rather than curse, heal rather than harm, we are growing in the Lord’s grace. The rewards are a peaceful heart that has no condemnation and a growing group of people we love and are loved by.
James 3:2-12
2 We all make many mistakes. A person who never said anything wrong would be perfect. Someone like that would be able to control their whole body too. 3 We put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us. With these bits we can control their whole body. 4 It is the same with ships. A ship is very big, and it is pushed by strong winds. But a very small rudder controls that big ship. And the one who controls the rudder decides where the ship will go. It goes where he wants it to go. 5 It is the same with our tongue. It is a small part of the body, but it can boast about doing great things.
A big forest fire can be started with only a little flame. 6 The tongue is like a fire. It is a world of evil among the parts of our body. It spreads its evil through our whole body and starts a fire that influences all of life. It gets this fire from hell.
7 Humans have control over every kind of wild animal, bird, reptile, and fish, and they have controlled all these things. 8 But no one can control the tongue. It is wild and evil, full of deadly poison. 9 We use our tongues to praise our Lord and Father, but then we curse people who were created in God’s likeness. 10 These praises and curses come from the same mouth. My brothers and sisters, this should not happen. 11 Do good water and bad water flow from the same spring? Of course not.12 My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree make olives? Or can a grapevine make figs? No, and a well full of salty water cannot give good water.
Our words and thoughts are revealed to the Lord
Psalm 19:14 (ERV)
14 May my words and thoughts please you.
Lord, you are my Rock—the one who rescues me.
Psalm 139:1-7 (ERV)
1 Lord, you have tested me,
so you know all about me.
2 You know when I sit down and when I get up.
You know my thoughts from far away.
3 You know where I go and where I lie down.
You know everything I do.
4 Lord, you know what I want to say,
even before the words leave my mouth.
5 You are all around me—in front of me and behind me.
I feel your hand on my shoulder.
6 I am amazed at what you know;
it is too much for me to understand.
7 Your Spirit is everywhere I go.
I cannot escape your presence.