As I was reading a section of "Unglued" by Lysa TerKeurst this afternoon, this phrase came to mind again. She was discussing a passage of scripture in James 3 and how it relates to our need to control our reactions during time of raw emotion. This caused me to go back and read James 3 in its entirety.
Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.
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, and set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the mouth come blessings and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.
Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
I added the bold lettering to the section which stood out to me most. I am guilty of falling into this, so please don't read my words as judgement or condemnation, but rather as a challenge for all of us to strive to improve in this area and to be able hold each other accountable as well. Success in any area of our lives will be attained more quickly when we bring others on board to help us on our journey.
How many of us go to church on Sunday and sing praises to the King, walk the walk, and talk the talk, then leave and make rude comments about the driver in front of us, pass judgement on someone we see, or bad mouth a co-worker who offended us? If you can relate, you are right there with me and probably everyone else we know who is a Christian. Being a Christian doesn't make us perfect, it makes us sinners save by grace. This verse also reminds me of another statement made by Mark Hall during the concert. I do not remember exactly how he phrased this, but basically he said that we as Christians need to stop criticizing lost people for sinning. It should be no surprise to us that they are sinning, they are lost after all! In tying that into the above verse it was a startling reminder that we are all created in God's, in his image. Who are we to criticize what God has made and made in his likeness none the less! Are we some how more suited to judge than God is? Are we somehow more qualified to determine people's weaknesses? If you break it down, the only difference among us is where we are at on our journey with God. Some of us have yet to begin, some of us have matured greatly and are working toward perfecting our walk, and the rest of us fall somewhere in between. I want to encourage all of us to have close relationships with someone who is further along the path to mentor us, someone who is at a similar stage to cheer us on and encourage us, and someone who is further behind us to pour into to them and encourage them on their journey.
Back to the title of today's post, "Love equals the right to speak truth." If we do not have love and do not have a relationship with individuals, we have no business discussing difficult topics with them. If these two qualifications are not met, despite our intentions, our actions will be perceived as judgement and could possibly do more damage than good. Ultimately, if I had to sum my convictions, it would boil down to love and relationships.
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