A word about words.

James 3

 Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment. ² 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. ³ Now if we put the bits into the horses’ mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their entire body as well. ⁴ 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. ⁵ 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! ⁶ 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. ⁷ For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race. ⁸ But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. ⁹ With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; ¹⁰ from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way. ¹¹ Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water? ¹² Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Nor can salt water produce fresh.

In today's reading from the One Year Bible, James continues his very simple staight forward assessment of, and direction to the early church, and so to us today.  He begins with the caution that people should consider the responsibility that goes along with being a teacher before they aspire to become one. He says the teacher will incur a stricter judgment. This statement should weigh heavily on all who are teachers or any type of leader in the church. Ezekiel 33:7-9 speaks of the responsibility that falls on God called teachers.

⁷ “Now as for you, son of man, I have appointed you a watchman for the house of Israel; so you will hear a message from My mouth and give them warning from Me. ⁸ When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you will surely die,’ and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require from your hand. ⁹ But if you on your part warn a wicked man to turn from his way and he does not turn from his way, he will die in his iniquity, but you have delivered your life.

This responsibility or stricter judgment increases according to the number of people who are following the teacher or leader. So while in the world self promotion is acceptable and even encouraged as the way to get ahead, in God's kingdom and His church, God's calling and God's promotion are the only ones we should seek. God is faithful to prepare and equip His chosen leaders for His purposes, for the time and season He has ordained. As with many truths in the kingdom there are two sides to this. If we are aware of a calling from God on our lives we are also accountable if we do not answer His call. We are all responsible both for what we do and what we leave undone.

James moves from that warning into a commentary on the  power of the tongue. He compares it as a small part of our body to the rudder of a ship and to the bit in a horses mouth. This small seemingly insignificant thing can direct the course of the whole body or vessel. We are all responsible and accountable for the things we say. Proverbs 18:21 says   Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit. James says "See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire!" Just as a small flame that ignites a devastating forest fire can impact that forest for many years, the power of our words can cause damage that effects generations. Patterns of anger, outbursts and  abuse are ignited and fueled by ill spoken words. Verses 9 and 10 hold a key for us.  ⁹ With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; ¹⁰ from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way. James then makes a comparison of the tongue to some natural physical things which can not produce things that are opposite in nature. That's the key with those other things it is not possible, with the tongue "these things ought not be". We have a choice to make. If we don't make it a conscious choice then we will make the wrong choice.

The power of both life and death is indeed in the tongue. We need to consciously choose to speak life into and over others, ourselves and circumstances. Jesus says this about the revelation that He is the Christ, the Messiah, in Matthew 16.

 I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. ¹⁹ I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”

That's the power that we have with our words. The power of life and death. The power to bless or curse. The power to bind and loose. We need to make sure that we bless what we want blessed and we curse what we want cursed. We need to understand the authority and the responsibility we have in and through the words we speak. When we bind the enemies power to kill and destroy our lives we need to loose resurrection  power abundant life into those areas instead. 

"See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire!" If you're going to start a fire, why not choose to ignite it with the fire of God, revealed and released through the Holy Spirit.