Today social media is being used for many different purposes, some good and some evil. We need to be careful of the words that we post, that we consider their impact. The old adage “sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me” is seriously flawed. James completes his admonition against bitter, sinful speech by explaining that the net effect of such words are “confusion and every evil thing are there. (James 3:16). Bitter words will ruin every relationship or organization they are brought upon. We can praise God for an alternative. God stands ready to help us tame our bitter tongue, whether that is in spoken or written words. The process is hard, but the fruit is more than worth it. Just as bitter words and their ruinous effects destroy and tear down. Godly words can build up relationships and organizations. That is what the Savior of the world desires because He loves righteousness that is sown in peace by those who make peace. As we prepare to open our mouth, whether that is in pen or process, may we realize that the words that we are about to make public will affect people around … READ MORE

As a follower of Christ, our adversary, the devil, is the father of lies and is delighted when we speak words that are false, proud, jealous, and motivated by selfish ambition. In that sense, our bitter words glorify Satan instead of glorifying Jesus. No wonder James tells us in James 3:6 “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.” This demonic source plays out in three different types of bitter speech. First, it can involve our evaluation of a past event. Bitterness invariable skews our circumstances, and we must be aware of falsehoods that are often spawned in our own bitter heart. For example, the children of Israel remembered their slavery in Egypt as having pots full of meat and plenty of bread (Exodus 16:3). Second, the fires of hell can produce false evaluations of our present difficulties. In Exodus 16:3 Israel said to Moses, we wish we “had died by the LORD”s hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat, when we … READ MORE

James 3:3-4 reminds us that, “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.” When a husband speaks bitter words of complaint against their wire, it is like watching him slap her in the face. It only takes a few bitter words spoken in an average month to kill a marriage, a family, a workplace, or a church. James them makes a stunning acknowledgement about the tongue in James 3:9-10, “With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in teh similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.” We need to take time to consider how we tend to speak about hurts and disappointments. As we retell a story, is our narrative laced with bitter words? Does listening to you talk sound like drinking a fresh glass of water, or something bitter? It only takes occasional bitterness to poison a a situation … READ MORE