Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing
WEEK 43
YEARNING TO BLESS GOD AND MAN
JAMES 3:1-12
Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment. For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well. Now if we put the bits into the horses' mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their entire body as well. Look at the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot desires. So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things.
See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell. For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race. But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this
way. Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water? Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Nor can salt water produce fresh.
DEAR LORD, as we now seek to bless You with our praise,
we must confess that we are people with unclean lips.1
With the same tongue we use to bless You, Dear Father,
we demean people who are made in Your image. We acknowledge with deepest remorse
that we are guilty of such gross hypocrisy, and it ought not to be this way. We yearn rather to be characterized by speech
that blesses You and edifies others.
So give us power and self-control
to keep our tongues from evil
and our lips from speaking deceit.2
Guard our ways that we may not sin with our tongues;
guard our mouths as with a muzzle, especially when we are in the presence of the wicked.3
We know that by our words we will be justified,
and by our words we will be condemned.4
So forgive us for the many ways we have sinned with our lips. Sanctify our words to minister grace to the hearers.
In seeking Your forgiveness, we humbly acknowledge
Your greatness, goodness, and unbounded kindness to us
who trust in Christ Jesus. We are bold to seek your mercy
because You have revealed Yourself as a God
who is longsuffering and kind, ready and willing to pardon sin,
full of compassion and slow to anger.5
You comfort us in all our affliction,
and Your promises give us life and hope.6
On the basis of those promises, we turn to You for mercy and cleansing.
We declare with the psalmist that You,
Lord God, are a sun and shield; You give grace and glory; no good thing do You withhold
from those who walk uprightly.7
We bless You for exceedingly great and precious promises
that nourish us and comfort our souls, yet we accept them not as mere comfort
but as encouragement and motivation
to a higher and more dedicated love of godliness, obedience, and service.
Save us, we pray, from empty words
of praise and blessing given to You
and thoughtless, unkind, and cruel words
given to others who are made in Your image. Give us by Your Holy Spirit control over our tongue,
which is supreme evidence of a disciplined life
under which all else is under control as well. Grant us discipline of speech that comes from strength of character
so that out of the fountain of our lips
comes only that which is
sweet, fruitful, edifying, uplifting, and Christ honoring.
Fill us with grace that will make our speech always gracious.8
Forgive us for all our failures in speech,
and make us clean again as we come into Your presence. In our Savior's name we pray,
asking that we learn to speak
as graciously as He spoke. Amen.
1. Isaiah 6:5 2. Psalm 34:13 3. Psalm 39:1 4. Matthew 12:37 5. Psalm 145:8 6. Psalm 119:49-50 7. Psalm 84:11-12 8. Colossians 4:5-6
PRAYERS ON USEFUL SERVICE