Morning Musings with the boys at breakfast...
Amusing and ironic that James 3:1-12 starts out mentioning teachers and then talking about tongues out of control. Do teachers have such tendency? Ha, ha, some students would say so. However, aren't teachers supposed to use their tongues with which to teach?
Yes, but it's a serious matter to teach. What is taught will come back to the teacher, therefore, the warning to the many brothers "not...to presume to be teachers". This is with good reason. Think before you speak as those who teach "will be judged more strictly" (vs 1).
What is it teachers are teaching anyway? Words of praise and blessing, or words of complaint and cursing? Horses, large ships, and all kinds of animals have been "tamed by man" but does man tame his tongue? No teacher can tame the tongue under his own steam. Beseech God for His help through the Holy Spirit, for self-control. Only with God's help can we tame it. As James 1:26 notates, a person's religion is worthless if he "does not keep tight rein on his tongue."What comes out of our mouths is often what we have been putting into our minds, or according to our associations. For example...the company we keep...angry people can make you become the same (Proverbs 22:24). We need to change our mindset to be more like Christ, speaking and teaching life-giving words.
My sons, some day you may well be fathers teaching in your own children in your own home, or be one of the teaching brothers among God's people or even a teacher in a school; God knows your future. Wherever you may be teaching, be sure to ask God for the teacher tongue-taming training; rein it in and tame it. Let us all take this to heart; I certainly need to. Let us be "fresh water" (vs 11, 12) blessings to one and all around us. And remember the saying, "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again." God is into the forgiving when we are into the repenting. What a mercy!
~ERC 2016~
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