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Bible Reading: James 1:26
Rumors. Lies. Insults. We all know that those things can crush a person’s feelings leaving them feeling beaten and bruised emotionally.
How do you react when you are the person being talked about?
James 1:26 says, “If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.” As hard as it may be to do, James gave us the perfect piece of advice – “keep a tight rein” on your tongue.
Most likely, our first response, the response of our old nature, is to fight fire with fire by trying to burn the person who was talking about us with some fiery words of our own.
God has a different view of things. God says that we should leave the fighting up to him. He wants us to see those cruel, untrue comments for what they really are – the words of a fool – and not dignify them with any sort of response.
Jesus had to feel a good many of those fiery arrows aimed right at his heart as the people he came to save rejected him and hurled scorching insults and lies at him.
When someone starts throwing fiery words your way, take a moment to view your hurt through Jesus’ eyes. Now you have a bit of an idea about how beaten and bruised Jesus felt when he was being insulted, lied about, and killed for you.
“Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies.” Psalm 34:13
Prayer: Heavenly Father, when I think about how much rumors, insults and lies hurt me, I have a new appreciation for how much hurt Jesus felt for me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.