Posted in Faith Builders

⁷ For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. ⁸ But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. ⁹ With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. ¹⁰ Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. ¹¹ Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? ¹² Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh.   
¹³ Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. ¹⁴ But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. ¹⁵ This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. ¹⁶ For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. ¹⁷ But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. ¹⁸ Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. (James 3:7-18, New King James Version)

Men have conquered and taken dominion over so much of the natural world, we have trained animals ranging from the great whales of the sea to the tiny mouse, and everything in between.  We have found ways to defy gravity, if only for a time, through the miracle of flight, and we have even left our earthly domain and walked upon the moon.  But there has never been a human being (other than Jesus) who has actually succeeded in taming the tongue, in gaining complete mastery over their own words.  There is not one of us who never says something we shouldn't say, not one of us who never regrets our own words.  The same Christians who bless God on Sunday morning, will find themselves cursing men on Monday, and as James points out, this should not be, but no can ever hope, by sheer effort, to completely control their own words, or "tame the tongue" as Scripture says.  However, what is impossible with men is possible with God. (Matthew 19:26)

A good spring produces good water, and a good tree produces good fruit.  What comes out is only what was within, (Matthew 15:11) and (Matthew 15:16-20).  If bitter envy and self seeking are within my heart, then naturally reviling speech will spew forth, which, as I explained in my last devotional will in turn breed more bitterness, self pity, and self seeking, resulting in a self perpetuating cycle of sin.

So what can be done about this?

For starters, not boasting to be better than I am, and therefore lying against the truth, but rather admitting to the Lord that I have this sinful bitterness within me and asking Him to remove it.  Admitting to Him that I have self seeking contaminating every inch of my being and asking Him to cleanse it away.

The Kind of "wisdom" that causes one to think they are better than another person in any way, or that makes one feel they are entitled to demand their own rights is demonic in origin. Wherever envy and self-seeking exist Satan will work confusion and rush in with every kind of evil.

Godly wisdom, on the other hand, will be pure, or untainted.  It will be peaceable, not stirring up strife.  It will be gentle and willing to yield one's own rights.  It will be full of mercy and good fruits and without partiality or hypocrisy.  In short, the wisdom that comes from God, will like Christ, and will teach us to act as He would act.

This can only come from Him, our won efforts will never produce it.  His Spirit and His word must cleanse us from within, and then what comes out will reflect that cleanliness.

Lord purify my heart.  I confess that I have harbored bitterness, that I have sought what I wanted rather than Your will, and then have become even more bitter when things did not go my way.  Forgive me Lord for giving Satan a foothold.  I yield to You now and ask for Your cleansing, and for Your wisdom.