Read James 3:9–17
Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers,
this should not be.
James 3:10
If you and I are going to have tongues that delight, then we must
meet with the Lord each day and learn from Him. We must get our
“spiritual roots” deep into His Word. We must pray and meditate and
permit the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with God’s love and truth.
But James issued a warning: A spring cannot give forth two kinds
of water, and a tree cannot bear two different kinds of fruit (James
3:11–12). We expect the spring to flow with fresh water at all times.
If the tongue is inconsistent, there is something radically wrong
with the heart. I heard about a professing Christian who got angry
on the job and let loose with some rather strong words. Embarrassed,
he turned to his partner and said, “I don’t know why I said that. It
really isn’t in me.” His partner wisely replied, “It had to be in you, or
it couldn’t have come out of you.”
The tongue that praises the Father, and then turns around and
curses men made in God’s likeness (James 3:9), is in desperate need
of spiritual medicine.
Something to Ponder
Think of your comments to others today. What percentage of them
were “fresh water” comments? What percentage were “salt water” (or
bitter) comments?