James 3:5-6

"The tongue steps forth among the members, it assumes the leadership among them, it rules them, it makes them do its bidding. Thus it happens that it succeeds in staining the whole body, in polluting all the members; it sets in motion and inflames the wheel of nature, the whole circle of innate passions, jealousy, backbiting, slander, blasphemy, and every vile deed."  -Kretzmann

A friend and I were catching up over tea this afternoon, a baby in my arms and a toddler running around her feet, and a verse from Romans 14 came up in our conversation about motives and heart-issues (like submitting to our husbands, etc...). The verse says, "...everything that does not come from faith is sin." (Romans 14:23) This passage is in the context of adiophora - eating meat around a vegetarian, for example. Basically, if someone's faith doesn't allow her to eat meat with a clear conscience, then for her to eat meat would be a sin. Today is Ash Wednesday and many of my customers at work walked through the door with ash smeared on their foreheads and they proceeded to order fish off the menu. I can't condemn them for that, because that's what their faith leads them to do (assuming their faith is genuine and real).
Anyway, my point by bringing up that verse in connection to our very - once again - STRONG reading today is that our speech can and often leads to a world of offenses and disasters when used wrongfully! But, just like every negative, there is a positive. Every coin has a heads and a tails. The strength of our speech is real and worth our strictest watchfulness. We most definitely ought to think more before we speak. And yet I think there are times, as Paula said before, that it's needful to use our words in the best way possible to honor God and bring encouragement and understanding to others.
As the afternoon "chat" with my friend turned into a 3-hour long, meaningful conversation, I began to really think on our James study and realize how many actual words were being exchanged during that time we shared. I know for a fact that my sinful self made it impossible to execute that conversation perfectly. We probably both could have said everything in a more God-pleasing, perfect way. Yet, I left her house delightlfully uplifted and reminded of the wonderful blessings of friends God gives us. I was reminded that we have tongues that work - albeit sinfully all too often - yet, also for purposes of edification and learning, to honor God with our relationships. I desire to use my speech with more and more care and thoughtfulness, especially considering the DAMAGE it can do.
But as with all else that we humans that are only dust cannot do right, our speech will fall short of the glory of God. So with a sincere, sorry heart I ask for a clean slate. I rest in his grace for my inadequacies, and I trust that he that heals the most foolish of devastations can make good out of the ugly I create.

Praying, girls, that we all guard...guard....guard our tongues, and that all the more we allow His Grace to wholly fill our insufficiencies.
Love you and g'night! :)
~Cait