The book of James - Chapter 3
Readings for this week November 4 - 10
Click here for a pdf of this week’s readings
Day 1 – Such a Small But Powerful Thing
Silence, Stillness and Centering before God (2 minutes)
Scripture Reading – James 3:1-6
Back in Chapter 1 James had written a few choice words about the tongue and the power and influence it can have. Now he warms to his theme and further explains the tongue’s capacity not just for controlling us, but also for revealing the true state of our heart. The tongue is such a small thing, a tiny part of the body, and yet, like a ship’s rudder, it has the power to direct the entire vessel. One wrong word, one word out of place, and entire lives can veer off course and spiral out of control into places and situations their owners never intended. All over something they said – or something someone else said. We all know the power of the tongue, but we all struggle to master it. James compares the damage the tongue can do to an out-of-control fire – and the image of fire is meant to bring to mind the power of hell that underlies all wickedness and that can show itself in our words.
How are we to react to this? Surely if there is the potential destructive power of such magnitude lying dormant in our tongue, it should be the first thing offered to God, the first thing handed over in submission to him. But how often do we think to do so? If such a small thing has influence over our lives and the lives of others, we should submit it to God and give it over (continually, repeatedly) into the power of the Spirit. Words are powerful. God is powerful. As the Cheshire Cat might say, ‘the question is who is to be master?’
Question to Consider
What experience of the power of the tongue do you have? What good and bad have you seen it do?
Prayer
Lord God, first I must bite my tongue. Then I must submit my tongue. Then I must train my tongue. At each step in the pathway to speech, help me exercise restraint, wisdom and love. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Conclude with Silence (2 minutes)
Day 2 – Taming the Tongue
Silence, Stillness and Centering before God (2 minutes)
Scripture Reading – James 3:7-10
Take a moment to think of all the amazing achievements of the human race. Bring to mind all the technological marvels we have invented and developed and used to direct the wonder of our imaginations to harness the power of the physical substance of the universe. Dwell on the majesty of the animals we have tamed and bred, the plants we have sown and cultivated, the landscapes sculpted and shaped. Think of all that humanity has accomplished – and now think of how infinitely impossible most people find trying to control their tongue. It seems so simple, yet it seems we just can’t manage it.
We can’t fool ourselves into thinking controlling our tongue is easy, or unimportant. It is neither. It is not easy to tame something that can provide so much satisfaction and personal gratification through careless exercise or ill-use. It is not unimportant either. What comes out of our mouth is a sign of what is within our hearts. If we are filled with bitterness or envy or hate, it will show itself to the world in the words that flow from our mouths. We cannot expect these attitudes to fester within us and not show themselves in our speech. What is inside and unseen will end up outside for all to hear. James knew the importance of the tongue, and the importance of controlling it, disciplining it – and the effort it would take to do so. But the fact that effort is required is never an excuse for effort never tried.
Question to Consider
What do you find hard about controlling your tongue? How have God and others helped you to learn self-control? How have you helped others?
Prayer
Heavenly Father, you gave us your Word of life to save us and to guide us into all truth. May my words contain more and more of your truth and your love. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Conclude with Silence (2 minutes)
Day 3 – What the Tongue Reveals About Us
Silence, Stillness and Centering before God (2 minutes)
Scripture Reading – James 3:11-12
Right at the end of his teaching about the tongue, James drops in a horticultural illustration that carries very strong echoes of something that Jesus had talked about (right down to the example of the fig tree). What we say gives us a picture of what, at root, each of us is like. Our nature is revealed in our words. In Luke 6, Jesus said the same thing: a bad tree does not produce good fruit, and a good tree does not produce bad fruit. The nature of the tree determines the nature of the fruit. Each tree is recognised by its own fruit. Jesus said that what comes out of the mouth is a sign of what is hidden deep in the heart. And the fruit, whether good or bad, is always revealed, it is always visible. Maybe not straight away and maybe not all at once. It may take time for the harvest to come, but eventually the fruit becomes plain to see, revealing what sort of tree (or person) we really are. The true state of our heart is revealed through the tongue.
The ‘fruit’ of our speech – the way we talk, what we say, how we say it, who we say it to – is the inevitable result of who we actually are; revealing what we are really like and what we really believe – not who we think we are, or who we pretend to be. Nor is our speech the result of who we are on the outside, the surface that we show to the world. We cannot hide who we are, however much we might try to. The type of person we are and what we truly believe will be shown through what comes out of our mouth.
Question to Consider
How has God worked to change you and the words that you speak? How have you noticed a change in the impact of what you say?
Prayer
Father God, change my heart so that I may control my tongue, and not just for my own benefit, but so that my words may bless and succour those around me. Change me for the sake of your kingdom. Amen.
Conclude with Silence (2 minutes)
Day 4 – Two Kinds of Wisdom
Silence, Stillness and Centering before God (2 minutes)
Scripture Reading – James 3:13-16
“If any one of you falls short in wisdom, they should ask God for it, and it will be given them.” That was James back at verse 1:5. We all know wisdom is important. Most of us look out across today’s global landscape and decry the lack of wisdom and insight shown by government leaders, business executives, ordinary citizens – everyone. We all think there is a great dearth of wisdom, a marked absence of simple common sense. But has anyone actually thought to ask God for wisdom? Is that where we are looking for help, for guidance, for wisdom? As verse 5 went on to say, “God, after all, gives generously and ungrudgingly to all people.”
So what does true Godly wisdom look like? James gives us a picture of two types of wisdom here. The first is the world’s wisdom and James shows us what this type of wisdom looks and sounds like. It seeks its own advantage, does not care for others, increases strife rather than diminishes it, and is often simply the most callous breed of cynicism masquerading as true wisdom while sowing dissension and grief. James pulls no punches: as the tongue was coupled with the fires of hell, so such wisdom is labelled demonic. We need to guard against such talk both internally by making sure that what rolls off our tongues cannot in any way be accused of being evil and destructive; and externally by calling out such speech when we encounter it and not letting it invade our hearts and minds.
Question to Consider
How do we recognise such ‘bad’ wisdom? What do we do when we come across it? How do we stop it influencing us?
Prayer
Holy Lord, help me guard my mind and heart against the ‘unholy’ wisdom of the world. Still my tongue when it is needed; change my heart to one that grows deeper in your wisdom each day. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Conclude with Silence (2 minutes)
Day 5 – ‘Wisdom That Comes from Above’
Silence, Stillness and Centering before God (2 minutes)
Scripture Reading – James 3:17-18
Placed before us are two types of wisdom, and though we might think it would surely be easy to recognise and choose God’s wisdom when compared to human wisdom, one look at the world around us shows that perhaps it isn’t so obvious. So many people accept that we need wisdom and yet no one seems to agree on where to find it – but everybody has their opinion on how to fix the world, or at least what is wrong. With so many people around the world fed up with how their country is run, with how the economy is performing, with how the organisations that are supposed to help us are really harming us, there is a growing number of armchair critics decrying the situation and offering a remedy. But is what they offer really wisdom?
True wisdom is the wisdom that comes from God, who is simply waiting to bestow it on us, if we will only ask him. Ask in faith and God will give us wisdom James said at the beginning of the letter. What will such heaven-sent wisdom look like? Verse 17 tells us exactly how such wisdom can be recognized and what the exercise of true wisdom looks like. It is not easy wisdom; like God’s grace it is not cheap, there is a cost involved. These characteristics require time, discipline, sacrifice and prayer. They are hard to hang onto in a world such as ours and they take time, dedication, humility and patience to sink deep into us and change us. But they are the characteristics of those relying on God for wisdom, and courage to exercise this wisdom for the sake of our world.
Question to Consider
How is seeking God helping you grow in God’s wisdom? What does God’s wisdom look like in your life?
Prayer
Sovereign Lord, give me the strength and courage to ‘seek the wisdom that comes from above’ in service of others and your world. Amen.
Conclude with Silence (2 minutes)