The Mirror of Our Words.

“With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who are made in the image of God. 10Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.” - James 3:9-10

Taming the tongue. Words have power in our lives. However, words nor the tongue have the ability to create substance out of nothing, nor by merely speaking do things come into existence. We know only God does that. Yet, it is true that the tongue drives the direction of one’s life. For from the heart, the mouth speaks. Thus, whatever is in one’s heart will be the very things they speak. If darkness is in the heart, the mouth will only speak cursing, evil, worldly desire, and demonic conversation. If the heart is filled with light, the mouth speaks blessing, hope, truth, purity, and encouragement.

James addresses this by asking how might the heart be filled with both light and dark. “Oh, you double-minded people.” James then walks through these rhetorical questions. Can a spring produce both fresh and saltwater? Can a fig tree produce olives? Or do grapevines produce figs? All have an obvious answer; no. So now we see James’ implied question. Should the blood-bought, cross-carrying, redeemed Christian be filled with both light and dark? No? Yet then why do we speak both life and death? Even your tongue needs to submit to the transforming power of sanctification through the Holy Spirit. Watch your words, simply because they reveal your heart. What are your words revealing about your heart? What does the mirror of your words show you?