Living in the Spirit
September 13, 2018

Scripture Reading: James 3:1-12

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. For all of us make many mistakes. Anyone who makes no mistakes in speaking is perfect, able to keep the whole body in check with a bridle. If we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we guide their whole bodies. Or look at ships: though they are so large that it takes strong winds to drive them, yet 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 exploits. –James 3:1-5a

What we say matters. Often how we say something matters. I get the angriest at myself when I think of what I want to reply to someone who is getting under my skin and I know immediately it is the wrong thing to say and I say it anyway. I then must pick up the pieces of our dialogue that severed creating any fruitful outcome and try to put the puzzle of the relationship back together again.

We kill people’s souls with our tongues. I overheard a conversation recently where two people were talking about another person who they believed had failed to do something. One of them said, “That is just one more thing to add to the list.” The person was not a part of their tribe. Tribalism is a word being bandied about regularly now. I used to call them in-crowds. Our world is being divided by our labels as we try to restrict who gets a seat at the welcome table*.

Tribalism will not end until and unless we intentionally look in the mirror and see it in ourselves and worked to erase it from our society.

Prayer: Lord, guard our tongues against being the cause of animosity and loss of self-esteem. Let the words of our mouths be pleasing to you**. Amen.

*From the song I’m gonna sit at the welcome table see at https://sifalyrics.com/southern-gospel-revival-welcome-table-lyrics
**Derived from Psalm 19:14

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.