How Come?

With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? James 3:9-11 NKJV

We would say, “How come”? The Bible says “These things ought not to be so”, but the meaning is clear and the same. How come we hear good and bad from the same person? How come there is so much positive and negative from the same lips? How come we hear prayers and gossip from the same mouth? But wait a minute. Hold on there, James is speaking to fellow Christians who share the name of Jesus. It was like that then, and it is no different today. When it comes to the tongue, we have not learned very much have we?

By way of some explanation, I am very aware that there are young Christians who will learn the teachings of the gospel, and may have come from a very different and difficult background. They have a path to walk which is not the same as someone who has borne the name of Jesus for many years, and is known as a ‘christian’. Can I suggest that such a person does much harm to their witness, and the witness of the church by not guarding their mouth? Before you respond, I recognise there is a difference between the slip of the tongue, and the almost ‘expected and normal’ use of their coarse language, or even when it is written down in a public social media forum for all to see.

Yes I am guilty of saying things I shouldn’t, but I pray I will never be seen as a poor mirror to the sunshine of God’s love by my talk, language or life. And yes, I also have to work on my impatience with the mature believer who still cannot bridle their tongue. Guilty as charged!