The tongue...the tongue...the tongue...
Well, this is one subject we all hear about, but few of us take time to really listen to what the meaning really is.
You see, what James explains in Chapter 3 is what all of us intend not to hear. Or if we do read about it, we think the message is for someone else.
4Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go.
The tongue is a very small part of our body, but it is when we are able to tame our tongue that we are able to tame the whole body.
5Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.
6The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
When I look into our everyday life, we have made lying a habit. Each time we are faced with challenges where we end up lying about certain things.
I have asked and tried to calculate Rate at which I Lie in a Day and it has been alarming. I have decided to ask myself a question, why lie when you can say the truth?
We have our reasons and excuses though.
The more we do it, the more it becomes a habit and the more we lie.
This time, I want to challenge myself and you too, to spend a day without lying about a thing and see how you feel...
The moments I give in to lying, I can't stop thinking how much someone else might be lying to me too.
Remember the golden rule: do unto others what you want them to do unto you.
I don't want to be lied to, but I do not have to lie to anyone either.
Besides, if you tell the truth, you don't have loose ends, you are not afraid to walk wherever you want because you haven't lied to anyone about anything.
With the advent of cell phones, people get to lie about their locations and what have you. we tell people we are not around, we tell people we are at some place, we tell people so many different things from what we are doing or have done.
I bet you, there is hard work in lying. It is quite an effort.
WAIT TILL YOU GET INTO AN AWKWARD SITUATION.
This other brother of mine did just that. Telling some guy whom he owed money that he was at a funeral and will be getting back into town in two days time. He was busy in his statements that he had not realised that the friend was just in the car behind him.When the guy told him so, he was so embarrassed but had to face the guy to tell him the truth- I don't have money to give you yet...
You see, it saves us the pain if we say the truth. The pain to the person we are lying to and the pain to ourselves as we will continue to cook up more lies.
9With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. 10Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing.
The bible says out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. But sometimes, we speak good with our mouth but when we are away from those friends of ours, church members, pastors, brethren etc, we allow our tongues to spill vitriol.
It is about time that we stop lying to ourselves. It is about time that we put our energy in speaking the truth, so help me God.
It is about time that what we act, speak and do, goes beyond the people we know and interact with. It has to spread to every person and we have to act what we testify, no matter the change of environment.
So speak life, truth and honesty to every person you meet, no matter how difficult it is, that way, we know what we are missing and we become accountable for what we do or set out to do.
Let us try to speak the truth for he that is in us, is TRUTH.
Father we want to thank you for the gift of talking that you gave us. Lord we pray that through our knowledge of you and through your word, we be able to tame our tongues that they may speak that which is truthful for you are Holy Lord. Thank you for continuously reminding us how much we need to guard against the devil through our mouth for life and death lies in its power. Father, burn our mouth that we may speak the truth always, all for the Glory and Honour of your name, In Jesus name, Amen..
Y. Mashie
