Evening reading – thoughts on James 3:

Chapter 3 is all about words and wisdom. Basically, it tells us that when we can’t control our words and buy into worldly wisdom, things go downhill real fast. But if we trust in God, we know that human talk and fancy ideas won’t lead us to a faithful life.

First, James goes off about how powerful the tongue is. He’s like, “Listen up, folks! The tongue is a force to be reckoned with, and we can’t fully control it.” He says that if someone could control their speech all the time, it means they’ve got their whole life under control. Yeah, the tongue may be small, but it’s like the bit in a horse’s mouth, the rudder on a ship, or the spark that starts a forest fire. James really hammers on the forest fire analogy. He calls the tongue a fire that sets our whole life on fire and gets fueled by hell. He describes it as a restless troublemaker, filled with poison.

James is adamant that we can’t tame the tongue. As flawed human beings, we’re hopeless when it comes to controlling our words. It’s just plain weird and sinful to bless and curse using the same mouth. It’s like having saltwater and freshwater coming from the same spring or olive trees producing figs. But you know what? Sinful humans do that all the time.

Then James shifts gears and talks about wisdom. He insists that wisdom is shown through actions. He’s basically saying that your actions speak louder than your words, just like he mentioned in the previous chapter. According to James, wise people live humble lives and do good things. He agrees with Solomon from Proverbs that wisdom always comes with humility.

But here’s the thing: the wisdom of the world is totally different. Instead of being humble, worldly wisdom makes it all about yourself. It tells you to look at what others have, feel jealous, and make a plan to get it for yourself. The world thinks success is all about getting what you want in life.

James calls out this false perspective. He says it leads to all the chaos and evil we see in the world. But heavenly wisdom is a whole other story. When we trust God to provide what we need, we can let go of envy and selfish ambition. We can live peaceful, kind, and reasonable lives. We can sow seeds of peace and reap righteousness.

We need to rely on God for everything including controlling the flesh or tongue.

James 3:13-18 stood out to me in this chapter. Christians need to know the difference between spiritual wisdom and worldly wisdom. Some people are really good at scheming and using circumstances to get what they want, but their actions are often driven by jealousy, selfishness, and dishonesty. That’s worldly wisdom, and it doesn’t come from God. Instead, it’s from Satan and leads to doing the wrong thing. But spiritual wisdom is all about being humble and doing what’s right.

And hey, those who follow spiritual wisdom always think about others’ well-being before their own. They’re totally honest and never try to deceive anyone. It’s like being a farmer who plants good seeds and gets a great harvest. In the same way, Christians who build good relationships and promote peace can expect to see goodness and righteousness in their own lives.

Hope this helps someone reading it.