Listen

People can tame and already have tamed every kind of animal, bird, reptile, and fish. No one can tame the tongue, though. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

James 3:7-8

Think

Whoever came up with the phrase, “Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words will never hurt me,” probably never read the letter of James. Words can be some of the most painful acts done to another person.

Sadly, we’ve seen multiple stories in the news where people have said such awful things to another person that they decided to take their own life. Yeah, there’s not any truth in that old adage. Words can hurt!

What’s amazing about reading the Bible is that it helps us understand what it means to be human—the good and the bad. This passage from James reminds us how a wild tongue moves us away from God’s vision for our humanity.

We spend so much time trying to better ourselves in sports, playing instruments, performing well on tests, mastering video games, and more… but when was the last time you spent time practicing ways to make your words life-giving? That is what God is calling us to do today.

Jeremy Wilhelmi

Pray

Holy God, help me see the power of my words. Mute my mouth from words that cause harm. Give me the humility and strength to use my words for good. Amen.

Go

Speak out, but speak kindly.

Speak boldly, but speak humbly.

Speak often, but don’t waste your words.

Speak passionately, but speak faithfully.

Speak the truth, but speak it in love.

Speak, but don’t forget to listen.