James 3:2 We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.

James was obviously painfully aware of our tendency to say the wrong thing at the wrong time in the wrong way! “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me,” is perhaps the least accurate of all aphorisms. Words can be intensely wounding, but speech is one of our most fundamental capacities as human beings, to the point that John started his Gospel with, “In the beginning was the Word,” meaning Christ. Something so powerful must be used with care. At the same time, we need to realize what words are. The reason John could effectively use that figure of speech is because our words are the expression of who we are, of our wills. Jesus is the expression of God’s will, so He is God’s Word. That’s why it is so painful when we are misunderstood: who we are has not communicated. That puts another slant on what James says here, and for the next several verses. If we really want to change what we say, then we need to be changed from the inside out. The reverse of that is the plot of Shaw’s play, “Pygmalion,” famously made into a movie as “My Fair Lady.” There, the male protagonist seeks to create a new person out of the female protagonist by changing her patterns of speech. To a degree that is indeed possible, but it is obviously possible to be incredibly cutting and cruel and sound genteel and refined at the same time. No, real change in the content of what we say must come from a change in heart, and that is possible only with the help of the Holy Spirit. James is saying that we need to use our words as an indicator of our spiritual condition, and seek to have our words, and everything that underlies them, conform to our Lord Jesus Christ.

As a man of words, this is obviously extremely applicable to me. I probably speak and write significantly more than the average person, but quantity is no gauge of quality. I have demonstrated my ability to wound with words from childhood, when I considered them my main weapon against those I saw as my enemies for any reason. Sadly, I have found that words are most wounding when they come from those closest to us. As a pastor and teacher, my words to my congregation and to my students carry more weight than casual speech, so I must be all the more careful to speak the truth in love – emphasis on the love. I have been given the privilege of speaking what God has said and is saying, at times, so I must be vigilant not to pollute that with my own words that add nothing good. However, I must not let the fear of misspeaking make me silent, and more than Jeremiah could do so. (Jeremiah 20:9)

Father, I obviously could go on for quite a while on this subject! Help me not only speak as I should, but also shut up when I should. There are many times when any words are wrong. I’ve spoken in such situations far too often. I ask for Your brakes on my mouth – and my fingers, as I type – so that I will say only what You would have me say, building up my hearers and drawing them to You, for their blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!