Devotions: James
A devotion based on James 3:9.
The letter of James is one of the most practical letters in the New Testament. James, who was the half-brother of Jesus, was not interested in purely theoretical aspects of theology. While rooted in biblical theology, James spent much of his time working out the applications for the Christian. One of the interests James had was in the way we speak. James was grieved that Christians could switch so easily from worship to curses.
What should Christians do with their words? That is easy. We sing worship songs, pray prayers and read the Bible. But how do we use our words with one another? Do gossip, slander and criticism come easy to us? A useful exercise is to take a moment before we speak to ask ourselves if what we say will build up or tear down. The Bible does not know a divide between how we treat God and how we treat people. If we want to praise Gods, we also need to use our words to encourage others.
If you are interested in more on this subject, I recently preached this sermon on this passage in James.
