BEFORE You Go to Your Christmas Gathering: Read This

Do you have those people in your life who are really difficult to be around?

Perhaps they are friends, coworkers, or family members who never keep their mouth shut and make rude comments that make your blood boil or bring up conversations that are not very fun.

It is so hard to respond kindly and thoughtfully without spouting off responses to their frustrating statements.

Or maybe that’s just me.

I struggle to keep my mouth shut sometimes. (Y’all pray for me.)

Yet, the Bible doesn’t give us a free pass to use our words the way the rest of the world uses theirs.

Ouch.

We are to be measured, controlled, and intentional.

This is an extremely hard teaching, I know.

But stick with me here.

Proverbs 18:13 says, “To answer before listening is foolish and shameful.” (NIrV)

In other words, if we answer before we listen to the end, we are stupid and we should be ashamed of ourselves.

Whew, I’m sweating already and we just got started!

Solomon did not mince words.

Here’s the thing. The manner in which we communicate–as Believers–is one of, if not THE primary form of spreading the Gospel to a lost and hurting world. We send a message through the manner in which we speak.

If our mannerisms are not vastly different from the world around us, who will ever be drawn toward our lights?

Many times, we will be the only representative of “the light” in any given situation this Christmas season. Should we “hide our light under a bushel” as the old song says? Should we stifle our light under a blanket of harsh words?

Here is what James instructs,

“…Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.” (James 3:5-6 NIV)

Oh wow. James says that our tongues are worlds of evil set on fire by hell itself. And, if left unchecked, can set the whole course of one’s life on fire.

These words are not easy to swallow.

There are far-reaching implications for an unchecked tongue, including a life that–at times–glorifies Satan instead of God.

Think I’m going too far with that?

Read what the verse says. The unchecked tongue is set on fire by hell. It corrupts and reroutes the course of a whole life with its evil.

Who do you think gets the glory in that scenario–God or Satan?

That’s brutal. Stick with me, here.

James wasn’t done when he continued and said,

“All kinds of animals…are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.” (James 3:7-8)

Humankind has been able to tame endless creatures throughout the course of time. But the tongue? Nope. James says NO human being can tame the tongue.

So where do we go from here?

If humans can’t tame their tongue, are we helpless against its unruly ways? Do we just allow the tongue to take our whole life off course?

Of course not!

A life submitted to the Lord experiences redemption in all the areas in which we allow God access.

Listen to David’s prayer in Psalm 141:3. He says, “Set a guard over my lips, Lord. Keep watch over the doors of my lips.”

David realized something that is so powerful. He would need to ask the Lord Himself to utilize God-sized power to watch over the doors of his lips. He would need the Lord to place that guard.

He recognized his human strength alone wouldn’t be enough.

If we ask the Lord to do the same for us, we can believe in faith that He will help us.

Here’s the good news: we know that nothing is too hard for our God. Our tongues are not suddenly going to be the one thing over which He cannot exercise His dominion and power. He is more than able to help us.

Further, since we have His Holy Spirit inside of us as believers, He is able to be our guide and our strength every single second of every single day. He will not abandon us to fight this fight alone.

But, He also will not force us. We must willfully choose to submit to the Holy Spirit in this area in our life. When He prods us, we must respond.

And if we do so, we can be assured that He will bless us beyond measure.

Listen to what James writes just a few verses later when he says,

“Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.” (James 3:18 NIV)

I’m praying that as you walk into dicey situations this holiday season, you would respond in obedience to what the Lord has called you to.

And then I pray that you reap an overwhelming harvest of righteousness in your life as you submit.

The Lord is with you. And together with His strength? You’ve got this.

Til next Time,

Liz

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