Today’s Scripture is James 1:26.
“If anyone thinks he is religious without controlling his tongue, he deceives himself, and his religion is worthless.”
Our words carry immense power, much more than we often realize. They have the capacity to heal or to harm, to uplift or to undermine. As believers, the words we speak reflect the state of our hearts and the authenticity of our faith.
I love the quote from Maya Angelou who said, “When people show you who they are, believe them.” What you do is important, but James tells us that what we say is also important. What we say is an indicator of what is in our heart. Jesus said, “The mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” (Luke 6:45).
Here James tells us about the importance of controlling our tongue. If we claim to be followers of Christ but fail to control our tongues, we not only deceive ourselves, but we also render our religion ineffective.
In other words, you can go to church, read your Bible, and take food to a sick person, but if you don’t guard your words, your religion is vain!
I don’t want my religion to be vain, so I resolve to guard my tongue a little better.
Besides, it would also cut down on my “I wish I hadn’t said that,” thoughts.
I’m Lonnie Davis, and this is a thought worth thinking.