By: Doug Beyer, Atherton Resident since 2011

Scripture: (James 1:26)
“Do any of you think you are religious? If you do not control your tongue, your religion is worthless and you deceive yourself.”

Questions for reflection and application:

  • How will I show my religion today?
  • How do my words express my faith?

Thought for today:

Timothy Keller said, “Self-deception is not the worst thing we do, but it is the reason we do the worst things.” Some people who think they are religious have a Christian vocabulary instead of a Christian experience. They think they are doing their duty when they are just talking about it. Those who talk their religion by the yard and live it by the inch ought to be kicked by the foot. Their religion is worthless. Endeavor to live your true faith today by controlling your tongue. In deeds and words tell the truth about yourself and God.  If your foot slips, you can always recover your balance; but when your tongue slips, you can never recover your own words. God says, “He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin” (Proverbs 13:3). Words are powerful. They can cost us days and years of broken relationships, heart-wrenching misunderstandings, division, discord, and damage. It really does matter what we say and how we say it. James reminds us that our speech is a direct window into the very condition of our hearts. Keep this in mind for today.