A Force for Good or Evil – by Toni Babcock
"And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity; so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell," (James 3:6 KJV)
Ouch! James packs a punch with this passage. For many of us, our besetting sin begins here, with that little member of the body called the tongue. For the writer the tongue might be better described as "the pen" - but whatever the tool, the words we audibly or legibly "speak" have tremendous power. Think what we could do if we could harness that power for the good of God's kingdom? Think of the positive effects on our relationships, our ministries, and our witness for Christ in the world!
I have discovered that defensive words often come out as offensive words. But we are not called to defend ourselves, we are called to defend the gospel! Instead of allowing ourselves to be driven by the fierce winds of disagreeableness or debate, we can choose to simply steer our tongues in God's direction and avoid calamity. Read (James 3:1-18 KJV) for the full story.
Toni M. Babcock is the author of The Stone Writer, Christian Fiction for Young Readers and Teens. Contact |
