I am packing my bags~ Colorado ~ here I come. I have been studying about taming the tongue for several months now. And this morning I got up bright and early to do my devotions. Once again God is calling me to the book of James. Have you ever read the whole book of James in one sitting? If not~ I challenge you to do so. It truly is a picture of what a follower of Jesus looks like.
It starts out as James~ a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. I want that to be written about me. Don't you? Then he goes on to tell us to count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations. You may say what in the world does that mean?
'Divers' is an old fashioned way of saying 'diverse'~ which is an adjective showing a great deal of variety. So it means ~ " many different temptations."
Whew~ now that makes sense. What temptations do you struggle with? I don't struggle with lust~ discontentment~ drugs~ alcohol ~ but I do struggle in an area. I am being "real" here. Are you listening? I don't have it all together. I am not a "perfect Christian."
James says if we lack wisdom we need to ask God for it. I have been doing that most all my life~ I hope that I have grown in my 28 years of following Jesus. I pray that I have and I pray I will continue to do so. But I have not arrived and I am pretty sure you have not either.
On down the chapter of James 1~ James lays it out~ this is where the rubber meets the road.
Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
James 1:19
How about you? I have come so far but yet I have so far to go. I think I have a control on it until my buttons get pushed. Do you have a person in your life who seems to make it their life goal to push your buttons?~ I sure do. It is better to set boundaries in your life and walk away when we feel ourselves losing control of our tongue.
Yet~ James tells us no matter how far we think we have come as a "Christian" if we seem to be religious or we think we have grown spiritually our tongue is the deciding factor. If we can't bridal~ control our tongue it is all in vain. Our testimony~ our reputation~ our sanity is all at stake. James knew this ~ I think he was a very wise man.
If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.
James 1:26
Did you get it? If we can't control our mouths~ all our credibility is lost.
Yeah ~ well are you are as convicted as I am?
When you go to the Doctor ~ he takes that tongue depressor and looks at your tongue. Why ? Because he can tell much about your health by looking at our tongue. So I ask you today by looking at your tongue ~ how is your spiritual health?
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