James 3:1-12
“My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.” (Vs. 1)
The cost of being a teacher in the church is high as they have higher accountability. Many consider becoming a teacher without having a second thought about the cost they have to pay as a teacher. When you have a greater responsibility remember, you have a strict judgment. With our natural might, we can’t win the spiritual battle. Many people fail as a teacher or a church leader as they fail to recognize the battle against them. The greatest realization in a spiritual battle is that the battle occurs against the position, not to the person. When we take this battle so personal, we fight in our flesh making us use fleshly weapons against the on is being led by the evil desire. As a teacher, learn to discern and act according to the realm to which we are dealing with.
“For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.” (Vs. 2)
We may fail in different things as we are human beings. The first and the prior thing by which we fail is by our talks. Many people speak a lot and it can cause trouble. If we are a teacher, speak less, but lead a holy life. The best answer to some questions is silence. If we speak frequently, we are more prone to sin with our tongue. Gossip, criticism, slander, anger, worship, all these come from the same mouth. The words of motivation and the words of discouragement can come from the same mouth if we don’t tame ourselves in the spiritual discipline.
Why James was telling, “If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.”?
James was trying to paraphrase a teaching of Jesus in Matthew 12:34-37. “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” (Matthew 12:34). If a person can be vigilant in his word, it means that he has a heart that desires God more than anything else in this word. “Out of abundance” means, a thought becomes mature within the heart and is delivered out through the mouth. It has gone through several growth stages and has come out as a full-grown product.
How do we stumble in words?
Stumble means to trip or to lose momentarily lose one’s balance. We stumble by our faults- as we have a loose shoe, or the cloth is too sagging or as our legs are not strong enough to hold us. Just like this, when we boast about ourselves, when we care less about ourselves, we are making a stumbling block in our life. And when we speak badly about others in gossip, anger, and a judgmental attitude, we are losing our equilibrium and we will stumble in our way. God wants us to have a clean heart so that we will good from it. As Matthew 5:8 says, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” When we have a pure heart, we hold the bridle that controls all or actions.
“Indeed, we put bits in horses’ mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body. Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires. Even so, the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature, and it is set on fire by hell.” (Vs.3-6)
A small bit can control a horse and a small rudder guides a huge ship. When the bit and the rudder do its purpose, both the horse and the ship becomes useful for human beings. It’s not about the size of the horse that decides what to do, but it’s the small bit. When the master has a hold on it, the horse is under control. Taming the tongue is tedious when we try to tame the tongue with our might! But, just as the small bit being put in the horse’s mouth, if we are ready to put the word of God and praises in our mouth, though it seems insignificant, we can tame ourselves. The word of God is from the Master. That makes us give away our desire to use our tongue for our own needs. The horse becomes useful when it is ready to give its energy and effort for its master. The tongue is like the bit and the rudder. Both have a purpose and they are used by the master rather than being used by the one who possesses it. If the master has an evil desire, he directs the horse and the ship as he wants. Just as this, when we submit the tongue to the Master, He puts a new song in our mouth that it will bring glory to Him.
James says, “Even so the tongue is a little member”, we give less importance or ignore the little elements in everything. We think gluttony as a ‘small sin’, ‘spending lavishly’ as a minor sin, and so on. But, as we take give less care to these, they spread into our life gradually making our lives go away from God. Are we using our tongues to set fire in other’s life or are we becoming as a motivation in other’s life? When we demotivate someone, we are indirectly setting a trap around us. People who spread a rumor or speak badly about others shows their character and integrity through that action. If we don’t have the circumcision in the heart, we tend to use words that cause destruction just like a fire burning a forest. The fire destructs others and in the end, it has to die out as well. The person who sets fire on others has a short life. Return to God and cleanse our lives so that we bring glory to God.
“For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.” (Vs. 7-8)
Man has the power and the skill to tame every beast and bird. James just wants to makes us know our inability when we look to ourselves. Through every creature that can be brought under human control, the man falls in himself. Man has never found a way to tame their tongues so that it brings the right fruit for the LORD. This inability makes us know how much we need to depend on God so that we can reach the eternal shore as a victorious person.
James is giving a great warning about the destructive potential of our tongue. “It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.” Though some of us are proud that we can speak well before others, remember, if you are speaking those words without His grace, you are sinning.
“With it, we bless our God and Father, and with it, we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both saltwater and fresh.” (Vs. 9-12).
Praise and curse will never go in hand to hand. If we praise God and curse people, we need to check our relationship with God as well. No true Christian can hate the man and love God. Jesus taught us to love others just as we love ourselves. James warns us to have consistency in our talks. There are talks that we should talk about and that we should refrain from. In my school days, my friends know that I am the son of a Pastor. So, when I come to their midst, they will say, “brother, let’s change the topic, Pastor Kid is here.” Even the world knows what to speak to us and what NOT to. But, as Christian, we fail to love everyone just as they are, but, we judge people based on how they are to us. We curse and bless others as to how they are dealing with us.
When we speak next time, pray, “God, help me to speak like I should speak, help me to bless and not to curse others. Let me not be a man of a dual character, help me to project Christ through my words.” We must be calm like a stream and flow in their life with that Godliness.
