I Just Said What?!
Today’s Verse:
James 3:8 ESV
No human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
If you don’t already know, in the Bible James is probably my favorite Epistle. Easily. Why? James is forthright and tells it straight.. Chapter three contains one of the most memorable illustrations in all of Scripture: our tongue is like a small spark that sets a great forest on fire. It’s unsettling. And it’s true. Words can race ahead of our thoughts. A clever barb, an invidious whisper, a thoughtless wisecrack—after they come out of our mouths, they cannot be taken back.
As Lutherans, we know that it’s not the tongue’s fault. It’s the heart of the matter. “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” (Matthew 12:34). The tongue is but a door ajar to what lies within.
But James here sounds the bad news first: we cannot tame it. We can try. But even self-control has its breaking point. But that is just the point! What we cannot do, Christ has already done for us. He is the Word made flesh—the only tongue that never sinned. And in Him we have more than an example. We have a new heart.
By daily repentance and faith in Christ the Spirit begins His gentle work in us. He smoothes out the harsh. He stills the gossiping tongue. He leads us to speak words of life, not death. We will still fail. But we are no longer slaves to the tongue. Untamable by man, it is not beyond the Spirit’s power.
Prayers
A Prayer for Today:
Lord Jesus, You alone spoke with perfect truth and love. Forgive us for the damage our words have done. Create in us clean hearts, and tame our tongues by Your Spirit. Let our speech build up, not tear down. May our words reflect the grace You’ve given us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Apostles’ Creed:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Luther’s Morning Prayer:
I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands, I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.
The photo above was licensed through Unsplash+