Thought for the Day - Saturday 17 October

Thought for the Day – Saturday 17th October ‘All of us make many mistakes. Anyone who can open their mouth without putting their foot in it must be perfect, able to rein in their whole body. If we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we guide their whole bodies. Or look at ships: though they are so large that it takes strong winds to drive them, yet they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great exploits. No one can tame the tongue - a restless evil, full of deadly poison. Out of the same mouth we both praise God and curse one another.’ (James 3: 2-5, 8-9) ‘The tongue’s a tiny part of the body, but, such enormous harm can be done by it, every time we open our mouths, we need to think….before we speak.’ I read the words of our text this morning and automatically began to sing aloud (and still am because I can’t get it out of my head!!) the words above which come from the chorus of an ‘Out of the Ark’ song which we used to sing often in our assemblies in Holytown Primary, a song just called ‘The Tongue’. The words of the verses focused on the words we spoke and asked us if our words -- made someone’s day brighter, if they added something to our lives, if they were grateful words, if they built others up, and if they were careful and polite. To highlight the need for them to be all these things the second verse was almost like the reverse of the first asking us if we whinged and whined, if we grumbled all the time especially if we were not getting our own way, it asked us if we lied, if we blamed, if we called each other names, and finally if we were actually being rude in the things we said. Of course, the little song was designed to make the children think about the things they said to each other and to try always to make sure their words were like the first verse and not the second – namely that they were using kind words, grateful words, polite words, encouraging words, words which added to life and brightened up lives. As always a simple children’s song can say so much to us too. We too need to think about the words we use. For, who among us has never opened our mouth and said something without thinking and then regretted the words we have said. Words can so easily hurt, they can deceive, they can wound, they can blame, they can ridicule, they can revile, indeed at times they can even destroy people’s lives. We all know too, that in extreme cases words can incite people to violence and hatred and intolerance and even war. So we all need to stop and think before we open our mouths to speak. Words, like most things in life are a gift of God to us and they are a gift which we all need to handle with care because as out text says our words have the capacity for both good and evil and so we, as I sure we will all have been told at one time or another, by someone or another – need to learn to watch our tongue! We need to make sure that we do stop and think before we speak and make sure we use our words to brighten days, to add something to life, to encourage others, to be thankful and use them politely and kindly. Prayer Loving God, We ask for your wisdom to discern your ways and to discern how to deal with others we meet. Give us an awareness of the words we use in such meetings and in our relationships. May we always look to you for encouragement when we find ourselves in difficult situations, and for your guidance when we are trying to deal with all the injustices of our world. May your wisdom and your ways enlighten our words and may our words always be words of transformation and encouragement. We ask these things in Jesus’ name. Amen.