Whoever slanders his neighbor secretly, I will destroy. Whoever has a haughty look and an arrogant heart I will not endure. I will look with favor on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me. He who walks in the way that is blameless shall minister to me. (Verses 5-6)
For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. James 3
King David wrote this psalm. Setting for himself the parameters for those who were given the privilege of getting up close to the king. It was a matter of highest political and spiritual importance to David that he surround himself with other people of deep faith and a high degree of integrity toward those strongly held beliefs. Because a little leaven leavens the whole lump (I Corinthians 5). If those the king most trusted for their advice and counsel were haughty and self-seeking, gossiping about and slandering him behind his back, they could not be counted upon for their allegiance to him or his God. Their words and actions would poison the leadership and ideals of David's sovereign reign. How would David know whether he'd selected blameless men? Their walk. With God. Not their talk about Him.
Faithfulness. In heart as well as in deed. And if we are the kind of people who can measure what we say, we will be able to control also what we do. That is a stunning thought. Especially for someone like me who loves words. I have so many of them flying around in my skull all day and sometimes all night. I often wish I could shut the thinking off for a while. Self-talk and problem solving and my brain just yaks and yaks. It's why I often lie down on the floor and just get quiet before Him. Drain out all the bombarding words and wait for my Father. I must admit I've not always been nor always am in control of these words. I say it to my shame. For some, especially those who don't like conflict, the inability to speak is a boon. They don't make some of the mistakes I have. But I don't think what James is saying and what David wanted was someone who was afraid to say anything. It is what we say and when we say it that matters. Controlling our words for the edification and instruction of others. Neither vomiting them up nor hiding them from view. But ready, instead, to preach the word in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke and exhort with complete patience and teaching (2 Timothy 4). To be faithful with my words means I can be counted upon to seek the mind of Christ from His Word and from prayer as well as wise counsel from others. That in my heart I know my motive in speech isn't self-aggrandizement or selfish gain. It's not my intention to hurt or defame. In order to do this, someone like me has to put my mouth on a diet. No, you can't say that. Why are you even thinking it...sort of thing. I have to think about the repercussions of my words before I allow them to spill willy-nilly from my lips. Speak to others as if I were already speaking to the King. If out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks (Matthew 12), it's right that we are judged by what we say. Our words display our heart. Right out there for everyone to see.
So the root of it all always go back to my heart beating with His. Getting His mind (I Corinthians 2:16) on things before I share a piece of my minds I can't afford to lose. How do we know the mind of Christ? First we have to read the Bible. It is interpreted for us by the Holy Spirit. It is alive and powerful, sharper than a two-edged sword, able to uncover even the intents of our heart ((Hebrews 4). I have been chastised and elated by His Word. As if He's sitting with me declaring its import to me. Second, by the Spirit Himself. The person of the Godhead living within me. Jesus promised in His last conversation with the disciples before His death that He would send the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit would tell us what Jesus told Him to tell us. Talk back and forth with us by the power of the indwelling Spirit. It is when I'm more interested in what Jesus thinks than what I do that I will be most powerful for Him and most edifying to others. I have a long way to go, but I'm learning to diet. To tell my silly mouth to give way to the wise one. To bring my heart before His throne so that from it flows honey instead of vinegar. And when I then speak, the overflow of my life spews wisdom and love, language fit for the presence of the King.
For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. James 3
King David wrote this psalm. Setting for himself the parameters for those who were given the privilege of getting up close to the king. It was a matter of highest political and spiritual importance to David that he surround himself with other people of deep faith and a high degree of integrity toward those strongly held beliefs. Because a little leaven leavens the whole lump (I Corinthians 5). If those the king most trusted for their advice and counsel were haughty and self-seeking, gossiping about and slandering him behind his back, they could not be counted upon for their allegiance to him or his God. Their words and actions would poison the leadership and ideals of David's sovereign reign. How would David know whether he'd selected blameless men? Their walk. With God. Not their talk about Him.
Faithfulness. In heart as well as in deed. And if we are the kind of people who can measure what we say, we will be able to control also what we do. That is a stunning thought. Especially for someone like me who loves words. I have so many of them flying around in my skull all day and sometimes all night. I often wish I could shut the thinking off for a while. Self-talk and problem solving and my brain just yaks and yaks. It's why I often lie down on the floor and just get quiet before Him. Drain out all the bombarding words and wait for my Father. I must admit I've not always been nor always am in control of these words. I say it to my shame. For some, especially those who don't like conflict, the inability to speak is a boon. They don't make some of the mistakes I have. But I don't think what James is saying and what David wanted was someone who was afraid to say anything. It is what we say and when we say it that matters. Controlling our words for the edification and instruction of others. Neither vomiting them up nor hiding them from view. But ready, instead, to preach the word in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke and exhort with complete patience and teaching (2 Timothy 4). To be faithful with my words means I can be counted upon to seek the mind of Christ from His Word and from prayer as well as wise counsel from others. That in my heart I know my motive in speech isn't self-aggrandizement or selfish gain. It's not my intention to hurt or defame. In order to do this, someone like me has to put my mouth on a diet. No, you can't say that. Why are you even thinking it...sort of thing. I have to think about the repercussions of my words before I allow them to spill willy-nilly from my lips. Speak to others as if I were already speaking to the King. If out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks (Matthew 12), it's right that we are judged by what we say. Our words display our heart. Right out there for everyone to see.
So the root of it all always go back to my heart beating with His. Getting His mind (I Corinthians 2:16) on things before I share a piece of my minds I can't afford to lose. How do we know the mind of Christ? First we have to read the Bible. It is interpreted for us by the Holy Spirit. It is alive and powerful, sharper than a two-edged sword, able to uncover even the intents of our heart ((Hebrews 4). I have been chastised and elated by His Word. As if He's sitting with me declaring its import to me. Second, by the Spirit Himself. The person of the Godhead living within me. Jesus promised in His last conversation with the disciples before His death that He would send the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit would tell us what Jesus told Him to tell us. Talk back and forth with us by the power of the indwelling Spirit. It is when I'm more interested in what Jesus thinks than what I do that I will be most powerful for Him and most edifying to others. I have a long way to go, but I'm learning to diet. To tell my silly mouth to give way to the wise one. To bring my heart before His throne so that from it flows honey instead of vinegar. And when I then speak, the overflow of my life spews wisdom and love, language fit for the presence of the King.
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