20240202

should not be

James 3:9-12 (JDV)

James 3:9 With the tongue we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in God’s likeness.
James 3:10 Blessing and cursing come out of the same mouth. My brothers and sisters, these things should not be this way.
James 3:11 Does a spring pour out sweet and bitter water from the same opening?
James 3:12 Can a fig tree produce olives, my brothers and sisters, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a saltwater spring yield fresh water.

should not be

James’ inclusion of himself in the struggle with the tongue offers a kind of pastoral relief. It reminds seasoned believers that even the most faithful disciples continue to wrestle with the gap between who they are in Christ and who they long to be. After decades of walking with the Lord, the lingering presence of sharp or bitter words can feel deeply discouraging. The curse may not escape the lips, yet it sometimes rises to the edge of speech, revealing that the old nature has not been fully silenced. This tension feels wrong precisely because a believer belongs to Jesus. The mind is meant to be shaped by his thoughts, the tongue meant to echo his words, and the world meant to receive blessing rather than harm from a life joined to him.

Yet the very discomfort that arises when harsh words press forward is itself a sign of grace. A heart untouched by the Spirit would feel no grief, no hesitation, no internal check. Indifference would be far more dangerous than struggle. The presence of conviction shows that the Spirit is active, refusing to allow destructive speech to flow unchecked. The ache of failure is not evidence of abandonment but evidence of belonging. It signals that the Spirit is shaping the conscience, sharpening sensitivity to sin, and cultivating a desire for holiness.

This awareness leads naturally to a posture of surrender. The image of allowing the Holy Spirit into every room of the house captures the ongoing nature of sanctification. Some rooms have been cleaned and reordered; others still hold clutter, dust, or hidden corners where old habits linger. The Spirit does not force his way in, but he gladly enters every space that is opened to him. His work is patient and thorough, addressing not only the words spoken but the impulses, wounds, and patterns that give rise to them.

The struggle with the tongue becomes, in this light, a place where transformation continues. The believer who grieves over unspoken curses is already being shaped by Christ’s character. The determination to welcome the Spirit’s cleansing work is itself an act of faith. And over time, the tongue that once threatened to wound becomes increasingly an instrument of blessing, shaped not by human effort alone but by the persistent, gracious work of God.