At camp last year, I did an object lesson for the boys in my
cabin. A boy volunteered to squeeze an entire tube of toothpaste onto a paper
plate. The tube emptied with ease leaving a huge pile on the center of the plate.
I then requested another volunteer to put all the toothpaste back into the
tube. He struggled for several minutes trying various methods. He tried picking
it up and shoving it in, using toothpicks, and he even tried putting the paste
in his mouth and blowing it into the hole. Every method proved impossible to
get all of it back in. No matter how hard he tried, there was still toothpaste
on the plate, the ground, the outside of the container, and even on the face of
the boy.
Harsh and hateful words are similar. Once we have said
something unkind to someone, it is impossible to take it all back. Yes, there
can and should be forgiveness, but damage is already done. Not only do unkind
words hurt the other person, they often leave the offender with regret and
remorse, as well as broken relationships in many cases. Much care and thought
should go into what we say to others. James speaks a lot on the dangers of the
tongue. He gives a great rule of thumb to consider when choosing our speech. James 1:19, “This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be
quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger.” We need to slow down and think
before we say something we may regret.
James tells, and most of us
realize, how difficult it is to tame our tongues. He says it is like a wildfire
with the ability to do a lot of damage in a short amount of time. As Christians,
we must learn how to control the things we say to others. Let us take the
advice of Paul and improve the way we speak to each other. In Ephesians 4:29 Paul tells Christians, “Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth,
but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.”
Blessings,
Jeremy
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