Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? James 3:10-11
This is the first area of faith that really confronted me to begin to live the faith everyday that I said I had on Sundays. Working in machine shops with a bunch of guys who were good to work with and know, but most of whom did not have a faith, much less go to church on Sunday like I did. And, sins confessed here, I talked just like they did. I had a ‘potty mouth.’
This verse not only covers that kind of language, but also the idea of singing hymns on Sunday and badmouthing other people sitting in the pews with you after the service. The Word of God convicts us. This verse does not mean that we cover over sins and offenses, but that we control our own words and reactions. Truth must prevail, but bad talk has no place about our fellow redeemed.
God, through James, is saying that our faith is to be lived in everything we say and do. I know it is hard to change your language. It was hard at first for me. Here is how the Spirit helped me – He changed my thinking in this way: God calls us to have the kind of compassion that He has for us. Jesus said from the cross; ‘Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.’ That is the kind of thinking we need to have – Jesus thinking. Thinking that way, with the thoughts of compassion, changes how we think of others, and how we speak of them.
This is not an easy thing to do, because our human nature battles us, and there are some things other people do and say that can hurt us. Human nature wants to react with the same fury that may have been thrown at us. This passage reminds us to slow down, think, and live like we are Jesus to other people, like He did from the cross. That cross says our sins are forgiven, when we repent, and give them to Him. May the Spirit help each of us in this holy work. It can be done, with Divine help.