Gossip & Slander: What Good Ever Comes of It?

Greetings friends, and happy Monday!

You know, not many of you should become teachers in the church, because teaching is highly responsible work. And none of us is perfectly qualified. We get it wrong nearly every time we open our mouths. If you could find someone whose speech was perfectly true, you'd have a perfect person, in perfect control of life.

Have you ever been around horses? You can make a large horse go wherever you want by means of a small bit in its mouth. As another example, a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot wants it to go, even though the winds are strong. Just like the horse's bit or the ship's rudder, the tongue is a small thing that can control our lives. A word out of your mouth may not seem like a big deal, but it can accomplish nearly anything—or destroy it!

As Smokey the Bear reminds us, it only takes a spark, to set off a forest fire. A careless or negative word out of your mouth can do the same thing! By our speech we can ruin the world, turn harmony to chaos, throw mud on someone's reputation; we can send the whole world up in smoke and go up in smoke with it!

People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it talks badly about those who have been made in the image of God. And so blessing and neagtivity come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely this is can't be right! Does Wekiva Springs bubble out with both fresh water and salt water? Does an orange tree produce pineapples, or a grapevine produce tomatoes? Of course not! You're not going to dip into a polluted mud hole and get a cup of clear, cool water, are you?

Do you want to be considered wise, to build a reputation for wisdom? Here's how you do it: Live well, live wisely, live humbly. It's the way you live, not the way you talk, that counts. Let that sink in for a second. It's the way you live, not the way you talk that really counts! Mean-spirited ambition isn't wisdom. Telling everyone that you're wise doesn't make it true. Twisting the truth to make yourselves sound wise isn't wisdom. You see, jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and evil. Whenever you're trying to look better than others or get the best of others, things fall apart and everyone ends up angry and upset.

Real wisdom—wisdom that comes from God—begins with living a holy life, and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced. You can develop a healthy, vibrant community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity, honor and respect.

Have a wonderful day!

James