James 3
Yesterday we explored the calling on every Christian’s life to practice the way of Jesus through teaching others about him. And while so much good can come from our teaching, James warns his readers that our words have the power to hurt, shame, curse, and poison.
When teaching on prayer, Jesus criticizes people who “think they will be heard because of their many words” and instructs his disciples to pray honestly and simply, avoiding religious theatrics. Jesus modeled the importance of silence and solitude by taking time away from teaching to spend time alone with the Father. When it comes to using the gift of teaching, there seems to be a necessary balance between speaking and silence.
Author and theologian Richard Foster says this on silence:
“Silence is one of the deepest disciplines of the Spirit simply because it puts the stopper on all self-justification. One of the fruits of silence is the freedom to let God be our justifier. We don’t need to straighten others out.”
One of the gravest pitfalls for teachers is pride. If left unchecked, we can use it as a way to make ourselves feel better for “straightening others out” as Foster puts it. Instead of communicating the reconciling gospel message like Jesus, Paul and Barnabas did, we “curse people who are made in the likeness of God” to maintain a sense of superiority over people different than us.
James teaches that what comes out of our mouths is an outflowing of our deep-held dispositions. This is what makes teaching dangerous. Springs full of salt water yield salt water from their opening. Prideful, angry, and judgmental dispositions yield prideful, angry, and judgmental words.
We cannot will our dispositions to change, only the Spirit can do that. However, what we can do is implement practices that open us up to the work of the Spirit to make us into humble, life-giving teachers. If we cannot tame the tongue, we will cause destruction - the exact opposite of what Jesus calls us to do. What will help us tame the tongue? Disciplined silence.
In Mark 1:35, the author writes, “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.”
As Jesus models, our teaching must be balanced with a quiet seeking of the Father. Without this balance, we too quickly become the arrogant teacher who seeks to prop up our own image rather than glorify God and sacrificially love others.
So even now, take a moment to sit in silence before God. Pray, and ask the Holy Spirit to give you the words to speak today. Allow yourself to be reminded of the truth that you are justified by Jesus' work on your behalf, not by what you say or how you make yourself appear.
