SPEAKING ABOUT TALKING

I preached yesterday on James 3:1 - 12. In that passage, and in five other verses in the book, James warns against the misuse of our tongue. The pictures and parallels he uses are memorable. Our tongue is like a bit that can control a large horse; like a rudder that controls a large ship; like a small spark that can kindle a roaring forest fire. There is so much power in words and so often that power is used destructively.
Jan is reading a new book on her Kindle about introverts. Talking with an extrovert yesterday, Jan affirmed to the woman that those who are introverts and naturally slower to speak, have a natural advantage. They are far less likely to do damage verbally. Those of us who talk a lot need extra help from God to manage our tongues the way we should.
I shared with the congregation a paragraph I copied from a book (title unknown) many years ago. It provides a significant check up on that state of our tongue control.

"Can you go for twenty-four hours without saying anything unkind about anyone or to anyone?

Most honest people seem sure that they cannot go a whole day without at very least making unkind reference about another person.  “Then you have a serious problem,” I tell them.  “Because if I were to ask you whether you can go twenty-four hours without drinking any alcohol and you said you can’t, it means you are an alcoholic.  If you can’t go twenty –four hours without smoking a cigarette, that means you’re addicted to nicotine. And if you can’t go for twenty-four hours without speaking unkindly about or to another, you’ve lost control over your mouth."

Are you addicted to hurting others by the way you talk?