Your Words Matter...Especially If You're a Leader
Are you careful about what you say? Even if you are, here are some thoughts to consider.
Do you ever pause and think how much power your words have on others?
In James 3, Jesus' likely halfbrother singles out those who teach. These words should resonate with every pastor, small group leader, and overseer of any ministry. James argues that because these members have been given positions of authority to declare God’s truth, their words fall under God’s microscope.
In that day, teachers were held in a high position. There was a measure of prestige and power in attaining the title of teacher. It was a role often lorded over the people in Jesus’ day. The chasm between the common man and teacher continued from the time of Christ clear up until the days of the great Protestant Reformation.
But James’ point is resounding. The matter of the tongue is not just an issue for teachers. It is a challenge for all. There is not one individual who can say they do not struggle with what they speak. It is a universal principle that applies to all men and women throughout all of time. We all struggle with the tongue, but greater scrutiny falls on those who have been placed in positions of teaching authority over younger and less mature believers in the faith. James 3:3-5 says,
3 “Now if we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we direct their whole bodies. 4 And consider ships: Though very large and driven by fierce winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5 So too, though the tongue is a small part of the body, it boasts great things. Consider how a small fire sets ablaze a large forest.”
Just as a rudder can steer about an entire vessel, the tongue of a leader can completely change the course of a congregation or team. The fear of fire was great in those days. Thus, James’ metaphor would have certainly struck a chord with his readers.
Thankfully, James 4:6 tells us that God “gives greater grace.” This Greek word for greater is “megas,” and is where we get the English prefix mega. It is grace that is extraordinary and extravagant. We could call it “mega-grace.”
Because of this grace, we can do what James calls his readers to do in James 4:7-10 when he writes,
7 “Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be miserable and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.”
Submit, resist, draw near, cleanse, and humble. These steps are the key to overcoming the destructive habit of cutting down others and using your tongue for evil.
In addition to all of the hatred and fighting occurring among those whom James was addressing, it almost goes without saying there was lots of public and private slander taking place. In James 4:11-12, James shows his readers that not speaking evil means not to slander or defame others.
This can happen in a variety of ways. It’s passing along rumors against others in the church that are unprovable, it’s cutting others down in church meetings, and it’s unnecessarily sharing excessive details of someone’s situation so that others can “pray for them.”
But if there is anything we should learn from James’ writing, it is that we must correctly place the proper emphasis on sin. We must not water it down. Being in love with the world is committing spiritual adultery with Christ. And making statements about others that wrongly demean their character in the eyes of others is evil.
If you’re in the habit of cutting down others behind their back, take these words from James to heart. Don’t give yourself a pass, and always assume your intentions are good. Be alert for how you might use your tongue to pull down others.
If you find some, and you most likely will, lean into God’s grace. Submit to God, resist the devil, draw near to God, cleanse yourself, and humble yourself.
