Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.
Remember that saying? Parents used to (and may still) offer it to kids so they aren't crushed by the inherently mean things kids say to each other But have you ever applied it to adult life? Seldom am I struck with sticks or stones, while I am assailed by words on a far more consistent basis. In our study this week, James posits that the tongue is one of the most volatile things on Earth and we would be wise to handle it accordingly.
“A word out of your mouth may seem of no account, but it can accomplish nearly anything—or destroy it! It only takes a spark, remember, to set off a forest fire. A careless or wrongly placed word out of your mouth can do that. By our speech we can ruin the world, turn harmony to chaos, throw mud on a reputation, send the whole world up in smoke and go up in smoke with it, smoke right from the pit of hell.”
The tongue is one of the most amazing and simultaneously dangerous things on Earth. With our words we can share understanding, express our love. and bring about peace. However, our words can also confuse, spread hate, and start/perpetuate conflicts. Correct communication often times is the difference between success and failure.
James encourages us here to reassess how flippantly we respond that we might be more intentional in words we speak, type, and text. Look no further than the daily news to see the impact words can have on our world. I'm sure it doesn't take long to think back on instances when you too wish you had taken more time before you spoke or hit reply. We are absolutely playing with fire everyday yet seldom give it due respect.
The encouragement is that when we understand our words and exercise them in love we can achieve real wisdom:
“Real wisdom, God’s wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced. You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor.”
Getting along with one another is challenging, James admits that, but we often complicate the task with our own crass or careless comments. Yet, real wisdom is not out of our grasp and it all begins with carefully choosing our words. If we can recognize and treat our words, texts, and tweets as the weapons of mass disruption they are capable of being, we will have the opportunity to achieve something real and special in our communities.
Have a great week and be sure to share with a friend.
-the contrary disciple