3 Minute Read

Prepare Your Heart

To the best of your ability, get rid of all distractions. Take a few minutes to breathe deeply and quiet yourself in the Lord’s presence. Then, ask the Lord to speak to you in this time. Let Him know that you will listen and make whatever adjustments He will reveal to you.

Read God’s Word

Ezekiel 17-19
James 3

A Verse for Today

Slowly and reflectively read the following verse(s) and listen to what God will say to you through His written Word. Consider writing down any insights He reveals to you.

James 3:5 (CSB): “So too, though the tongue is a small part of the body, it boasts great things. Consider how a small fire sets ablaze a large forest.”

Reflecting on God’s Word

James used the word “tongue” secondarily to refer to the object in our mouths. Primarily, he used “tongue” to focus on the power of the words that come from our mouths.

So, in James 3:5, James talks about how small the tongue is (the object in our mouths), and yet we are called to consider how much good or devastation it can cause (the words that come from our mouths). Words are powerful!

I can remember some off-the-cuff comments that people made when I was a youth. Those folks may not have put much thought into their words or considered their power. But I can sometimes recall them 40 or so years later and am surprised at how they can still bring feelings of joy or sadness. Words are powerful!

A special memory came around 1994. My pastor (Dr. Hershael York) at Ashland Avenue Baptist Church (Lexington, KY) invited W.A. Criswell to preach the morning sermon. W.A. Criswell was the former pastor of the First Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas, and was a larger-than-life legend among Southern Baptists. He was an incredible preacher and just as good at leading. After that Sunday morning service, Hershael looked at me and then at W.A. Criswell and said, “I’ve got someone I want you to meet.” I shook hands with Dr. Criswell, who looked me in the eye and said with a winsome smile, “I think you will make a great preacher one day.” He didn’t know me from Adam, so his words were just kindhearted and not rooted in anything substantive. But I’ve never forgotten those words! I sometimes smile when I think back on them. Words are powerful!

Friend, you and I have the same power. We can use our speech to say words that could tear others down, or we can use our words to encourage others and build them up. It is quite possible that the words we may choose to use today will not merely affect someone in the moment, but for the rest of their lives. Words are powerful!

Why not ask the Lord to help you be a source of blessing to someone today? Realize the power you have in your mouth and use it to encourage someone. Even if you have to rebuke someone (a child, an employee, etc.), try to do so in a way that points out the behavior that needs to be abandoned while painting a positive picture of what you believe they are capable of. After all, your words are powerful! So use them for good!

Spend Time in Prayer

  • Ask God to help you recall if you have used your words to harm someone. If that’s the case, pray that God would give you the humility and grace to go and ask for forgiveness.
  • Ask God to help you use your words to help others (bless, encourage, speak the truth in love, etc.).

Going Deeper

If you want to dig a little deeper into James 3:6, consider reading the following GotQuestions article:

What does it mean that the tongue is a fire (James 3:6)?

Sharing

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Matt Ellis is the pastor of White Hall Baptist Church in Richmond, Kentucky (whitehallbaptistchurch.org)