Someone pops up on my screen, giving me a piece of their mind about how bad I am and how wrong it is what I’m writing. I’ve often been told how bad I am, but this person adds a whole host of new ones. I’m target practice.

When I’d calmed down a bit, I could think about the attack calmly. I was overcome with pity for the person. That person must’ve been misunderstood.

You see, when you open your mouth, it shows a little bit of your heart. Actually, you open yourself and your inner self to the one who listens, and the picture is often unfiltered.

If what is in your heart is not beautiful, this is precisely what your words show to the other person. Like the person who showed up on my screen badmouthing me. It is certainly not a pretty picture, and I know the person has many issues.

What you say shows what is in your heart. When you let loose your tongue, it shows your inner self and foundation.

⁵A word out of your mouth may seem of no account, but it can accomplish nearly anything—or destroy it! It only takes a spark, remember, to set off a forest fire. A careless or wrongly placed word out of your mouth can do that.

Remember, faith and works are two sides of the same coin. Those works include the tongue. You can’t say you believe, but your tongue paints a nasty picture of what’s happening inside you.

That’s why we have to make sure we have the right foundations. We must make sure that we speak the same language as what we believe, and we must make sure that the words that come out of our mouths always tell the same story.

It could be good to appoint guards because sometimes we lose the plot. We need to ask people close to us to be honest with us and tell us right away if the picture our tongue paints is not in line with what our faith says about us.

Let us be serious about the command so that we will not be afraid to open our mouths and know for sure that the picture that others see, even if we differ, will still point to Jesus.

Scripture
James 3:1-12

Reflection
What language does your tongue speak?
What picture does it show?
What adjustments do you need to make?

Prayer
Lord, sometimes when I’m angry or tired, my tongue twists, and that’s not a pretty picture. Help me to get my tongue under control and help me to live and show the right pictures. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.