Journal ~ JamesSample
DISCIPLINE
There’s this thing called remote control. We can push a few buttons and it can change the mood of music, movies we watch or basically the whole atmosphere in the room. What about a PlayStation or any other games that kids (and adults, too) play on their devices? By pushing the right button at the right time (or wrong for that matter) will have a huge impact on the outcome.
So it is with our tongues. What we say and what we don’t say are both important. In order for us to use a proper speech, we must say the right words at the right time, and we have to take control of our desire to say what we shouldn't say. It is imperative for us not to lie, to exaggerate, to gossip, to back stab, to put down, or to brag. James compares the damage the tongue can do to a raging fire, an evil part of the body. An untamed tongue can divide people and they fight against each other. Once hateful words are spoken, they will spread destruction so quickly, and we can't stop the result. We can apologize later but the scars remain and we can't reverse the damage. A relationship that took years to build can be destroyed by a few words spoken in anger. Before we speak, we should think whether what we're going to say is true, or necessary, or kind.
Scripture
About this Plan
For James, Christians (that is, followers of his half-brother) should reflect the character of their God. And what we find in this letter is not works and more works as sometimes thought to be. On the contrary it is a letter infused by God’s character, with the intention of making God-shaped people living in the world.
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