Lessons Along The Way.

8 But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; 10 from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way. 11 Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Nor can salt water produce fresh.

Have you ever noticed that someone always knows more than you? Recently, I decided that the only way to win that game of superior knowledge is to die. The upside of death is you will know more than others; the downside…you can’t tell anyone. In life someone will always have more experience, knowledge and wisdom than you possess. Simultaneously, the more you learn the more you realize you need to learn. It seems that yearly the Lord sees fit to teach us new lessons and many repeated ones. One can only hope that in the course of seeking the will of God we will persevere in righteousness, steering clear of foolishness and ignorance along the way.

While lessons come in all shapes and sizes, many involve the ever present and perilous opportunity to open one’s mouth. There are a myriad of activities that prove disastrous when combined with an open mouth. I submit the following activities as evidence to this theory,.. Bird watching: never a good idea especially when seagulls are involved. Bicycle or Motorcycle riding: this is tolerable if you are low in proteins and prefer insects as a means of nourishment. Painting: Latex paint tastes a bit like Elmer’s glue while Oil based is a mix between stale milk and motor oil (how I know this is another story). As you can imagine these lessons came at the expense of an already fragile ego and provided humor to those in view. Needless to say the open mouth can be punishing when the wrong content goes in, and most excruciating when the wrong comes out.

What is it about the human race that the very instrument God gave us to use for edification, encouragement, veracity, and worship is primarily employed in activities antithetical to its intended usage? With every harsh lesson we build an arsenal that should bring us to the place where we can use this instrument the way God intended.

As James points out in the passage above, no one can tame the tongue. If that is true, how do we live successful Godly lives? The answer is only by submission to God and His Spirit within us. Each of us has differing personalities and characters, which God wants to grow for His glory. Therefore, there must be a path by which God has prepared to teach us and grow us to be conformed to His Son (Rom. 8:29, 12:1). The beginning of this is knowledge. Knowledge of God’s Word, your own strengths and weaknesses, and knowledge of how those strengths and weaknesses affect others around you. You will notice I said this knowledge is the beginning, the end is found in consistent application over time. Strive to control your tongue that is may be a source of building up eternal treasure. Remember, entire nations have fallen through the misuse of this nefarious instrument.
* For further reading on understanding your individual temperament and how God can use you to bring it to Spirit control. Please read, “The Spirit Controlled Temperament” Tim Lahaye.