JAMES AND THE TONGUE

    Dear brothers, don't be too eager to tell others their faults, for we
all make many mistakes; and when we teachers of religion, who should know better, do wrong, our punishment will be greater than it would be for others.

    If anyone can control his tongue, it proves that he has perfect control
over himself in every other way.

   We can make a large horse turn around and go wherever we want by means
of a small bit in his mouth.

    And a tiny rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot wants it to
go, even though the winds are strong.

    So also the tongue is a small thing, but what enormous damage it can do.
A great forest can be set on fire by one tiny spark.

    And the tongue is a flame of fire.  It is full of wickedness, and poisons
every part of the body.  And the tongue is set on fire by hell itself and can
turn our whole lives into a blazing flame of destruction and disaster.

    Men have trained, or can train, every kind of animal or bird that lives
and every kind of reptile and fish,

    but no human being can tame the tongue. It is always ready to pour out
its deadly poison.

    Sometimes it praises our heavenly Father, and sometimes it breaks out
into curses against men who are made like God.

    And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth.  Dear
brothers, surely this is not right!

    Does a spring of water bubble out first with fresh water and then with
bitter water?

    Can you pick olives from a fig tree, or figs from a grape vine?  No, and
you can't draw fresh water from a salty pool.

    If you are wise, live a life of steady goodness so that only good deeds
will pour forth.  And if you don't brag about them, then you will be truly wise!

    And by all means don't brag about being wise and good if you are bitter
and jealous and selfish; that is the worst sort of lie.

    For jealousy and selfishness are not God's kind of wisdom.  Such things
are earthly, unspiritual, inspired by the devil.

    For wherever there is jealousy or selfish ambition, there will be
disorder and every other kind of evil.

    But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure and full of
quiet gentleness. Then it is peace-loving and courteous. It allows discussion
and is willing to yield to others; it is full of mercy and good deeds. It is
wholehearted and straightforward and sincere.

    And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a
harvest of goodness.                                                    --- James 3:1-18
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Yours in Christ,
Paul N. F.