dangerous tongue

MIND YOUR LANGUAGE!

(August 28, 2023) Mama Lava challenges us regarding our language…

Words are essential every day… some describe feelings, others tell of actions.

1. Complaining Words
I’ve been thinking quite a bit about words.

Guess that is to be expected when starting to write something, especially a blog… What is the message I want to convey? How do I want to say it?

When I write, I can be thoughtful and intentional – I have the benefit of backspace. But spoken words can be harder to manage.

The poster-sized James 1:19 reminder to the right? I have it hanging in my house:

I intend for my audible words to withstand rigorous checkpoints before they get through my lips, but they often escape with astonishing ease. The Bible points out the inconsistency of my tongue very well: ‘With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness’ (James 3:9).

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BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU SAY!

(October 28, 2020) Dr Jim McClure, straight shooting theologian, shares a scriptural warning…

Have you heard any gossip lately? More to the point, have you passed on any gossip lately?

I am using the word ‘gossip’ in the commonly understood sense of making derogatory and slanderous comments about other people.  While gossiping is endemic and ‘highly contagious’, it should find no place among Christians – but sadly it does!

Speaking against others
In his letter James made some pointed comments to the Christians in his day. He wrote, ‘Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it’ (James 4:11).

The Greek verb which has here been translated here as ‘slander’ literally means ‘speak against’ and James used it three times in this verse.  The word can refer to slander, gossip, insult, or to talking in ways that are belittling or damaging to others, or even to hinting at something concerning another person.

The J B Phillips translation of these words incisively states, ‘Never pull each other to pieces, my brothers.’ Paul and Peter gave a similar warning to the Christians to whom they wrote (2 Corinthians 12:20 and 1 Peter 2:1). (more…)