I’ve heard it said that the Bible doesn’t need to be defended or argued about.

It just needs to be listened to and applied to our lives.

Each morning I try to listen to what God is saying through different text that I read, and I’m always amazed at the emails and responses I receive from these reflections.

Today is one of the days, when one of these text say so much, I think there’s very little I can add to it. Listen to what James says today:

7 People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, 8 but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. 9 Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. 10 And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right!

What are we saying today?

Not just with our lips, but with our lives?

What are we saying?  Are we using our tongues to build up?  To praise God?  To bless?

Or are we using our tongues to tear down?  To hurt?  To cause pain?  To mock? To harm?

What are we saying today?

So often, we say things and literally the moment the words leave our mouth, we wish we could pull them back in.

We can’t though.  What’s done is done, what’s said is said.

So, we must be careful.  With the same mouth flows both praises to God and hurt to others.

This must not be so.

What are you saying today?   How are you speaking today?

May you, may I, may each of us honor God with our tongues today.  May we used our tongues to life up, not to tear down.  To bless, not to curse. To give glory to God and help each other.

Not to bring harm.