“…he sought the welfare of his people and spoke peace to all his people.” Esther 10:3b
The weather in Puebla, Mexico is quite amazing. In fact, just an hour away lies a little Mexican pueblo (town) that claims to have the best annual climate in the world. If true, it’s a testament to what I have witnessed in the proximity of my new little home city of 3.2 million. Every day is sunny and mild, and the breezes bring a low humidity caress to the skin. The weather is more of a compliment to your day than a distraction, meaning, it’s so pleasant you just don’t notice it. Because of this, after language school this week, I retreated into the sun to enjoy some afternoon time in God’s Word. And as I ventured into the physical comfort of the sun, I ventured out of my language comfort and read one of my favorite books of the Bible in Spanish. And as I did, I quickly recognized one verse that haunts me every time I read it, “Tambien la lengua es un fuego, un mundo de maldad.” “The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil.”
The book of Esther finishes up with a tiny little chapter, only three verses. A small bow on top of the package. To be honest I thought of skipping it, I mean how important can three little verses be? But I’ve learned to never listen to myself when it comes to advice on reading God’s Word, only the Holy Spirit. And sure enough, within those three verses, we find gold from God. Mordecai is reigning under king Xerxes, joyfully watching over God’s people. And as he does, we see that he bases his treatment of others on carefully heeding James’ warning about the tongue. He watches carefully what words rolls off his tongue. He watches his tongue, being careful only to use it to speak peace. And we’re told he speaks peace not to some, but to all people. Oh, the glory of just hearing that. A person that declares before Almighty God to only speak peace to all they encounter.
The book of James goes on to correlate the tongue with a mighty ship that is controlled by only a very small rudder. God has placed our tongues as our rudders. No matter our thoughts, the words delivered by our tongues determine the course of our conversations. No matter our intent, our language to others tells of our true thoughts, true intents, and true feelings about the world and people around us. And folks, just as a mighty storm will test a small rudder, the world, and our prideful reaction to it, will test our tongue. You see, at rest in our sinful flesh, the tongue is indeed a fire, a world of evil that if not careful, will scorch the holder just as much as it will the one that receives its flame. We must be beyond careful. What message is your tongue truly delivering today? Is it wagging unbridled, worldly, sinful words that poison? Is it sowing hate, anger, selfishness, and pride? Or is it sowing peace to all people? Today, the challenge is to monitor and screen your words before your tongue releases them. To allow God’s Holy Spirit to determine what comes out of your mouth before the tongue is even spurred by the synapses. And to do that you need to employ another wise verse from the book of James. “todos deben estar listos para escuchar, y ser lentos para hablar.” Be quick to listen and slow to speak. May God grant you the ability today to listen wisely to the world around you and then to bridle your tongue and speak only words of peace to all around you.
“The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” Proverbs 18:21
“Those who guard their lips preserve their lives, but those who speak rashly will come to ruin.” Proverbs 13:3
“The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.” Proverbs 15:4
“Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues.” Proverbs 17:28
“Sin is not ended by multiplying words, but the prudent hold their tongues.” Proverbs 10:19
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