4.20.11.
"With it (the tongue) we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men who are made in the likeness of God. Out of the same mouth come blessing and cursing." --James 3.9-10.
This is the most frequent portion of the Bible to enter my mind on a regular basis. I'll give you a hint as to why: I am in my car all the time. Driving. With other drivers. That's right, folks. I mutter (and sometimes not-so-mutter) very unnecessary, very selfish, very (here's the nice way of putting it) mean things directed at other drivers on the road. I know that I am far from alone in this, BUT that certainly does not make it okay. And every time something dreadful falls from my tongue, that good 'ole third chapter of James shows up to put me in my place. Which, in turn, puts me in an even fouler mood than before because now the blame is on me.
Not speaking today (for the most part) proved that I am still capable of driving even when I'm not cursing other drivers. I sighed a few times and made one or two annoyed noises, but, other than that, no verbal nonessentials.
As I was writing earlier on the beauty of so many different shapes and sizes on the beach, these are all stunning reflections of my God. He created each with such detail ~ and each with their own story, gifts, potential to change the world.
And yet I get angry at them because they don't drive fast enough. Real rational.
"My brothers, these things should not be this way." (3.10)
Yes, James, I know.
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