James 3:1-12

 

James 3:1-12

How much damage can you do with a little piece of wood? Some people say that little things can only do a little bit of damage. So, how much damage can you do with a little piece of wood?

Let’s say that little piece of wood is a matchstick. You can use it to light a grill or burn leaves. If you are not careful you can burn down a building or thousands of acres.

I mention that because in our Epistle (James 3:1-12), we heard, “How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life.”

James was telling us that our tongues, one of the smallest pieces of my body, can hurt others more than any other part of the body. It’s very easy to ruin a person’s reputation, relationships with friends or family, or life.

The good news is that we can train our tongues not to say things that hurt other people. We can ask the Holy Spirit to give us the wisdom and strength not to say hurtful words especially when someone else is saying or doing something to hurt us.

If I can train my dog to sit and stay, or to come to me when I call him, we can train our tongues. If our parents can train us how to spell words and learn prayers, how to fold laundry, make our bed or our own breakfast, we can train our tongues – with God’s help. So, the next time you are tempted to say hurtful words, remember all the insults and beatings Jesus took for you and me and how he remained silent. With that, let us pray.

Heavenly Father, from whom all fatherhood in heaven and earth is named: Bless these and all children, and give their fathers and mothers the spirit of wisdom and love, so that the homes in which they grow up may be to them an image of Your Kingdom, and the care of their parents a likeness of Your love. We pray in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.