A Fatal Failure

I've been thinking about sin. Not the blindingly obvious sin that we all find it easy to see and mourn in ourselves but the subtle less noticeable but incredibly destructive sins we sometimes ignore, or don't view as serious.

How often does the Bible warn us about our tongues or lips? The answer is lots, again and again we are warned about the need to control our speech. Be it Job 27; Psalm 12, 34, 120, 140, Proverbs 12 or 17, or Peter or James in their letters. And yet how often we fail to listen to the warnings.

Too often we want to defend ourselves or justify ourselves and so we speak out to the harm of others and as we do our words reveal the state of our hearts. That we do not take sin and holiness seriously.

James 3:9-12 "With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water."

How we would stand out from friends neighbours colleagues if we tamed our tongue. If we learned to bite it instead of engaging in gossip, or slander, or cursing, or self justification. The gospel calls us to bring our tongue under control and to be holy and blameless in all we say.