Your Daily Devotional for April 22, 2006

April 22, 2006

 

Pure Religion Bridles the Tongue

by Dr. Paul Chappell

 

"If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain."

James 1:26

 

A woman came to her pastor and said, "Pastor, I have a problem with gossip, and I don't know how to stop it. I talk about people all the time. As soon as I hear something bad about someone, I go and tell others about it."

 

The pastor stepped over to a chair and picked up a soft, round pillow. He reached into his desk and pulled out a letter opener, then went out onto the front porch of the church. Using the letter opener he ripped open the pillow, and all of the feathers spilled out.  Immediately, a gust of wind caught them and carried them away.

 

The pastor turned to the woman and said, "Now, I want you to pick up every single one of those feathers."

 

The woman looked at the hundreds of feathers drifting down the street, into yards, and up into the trees. "Pastor," she said, "you know that there is no way that I could ever gather all of those feathers!"

 

 "Perhaps," the pastor suggested, "you should remember that the next time you gossip."

 

Whenever there are Christians endeavoring to go forward for God, there are those that seem to be religious, but what they say is discouraging to the work of God. Each of these individuals is sowing discord because "he bridleth not his own tongue." The Bible says that this is presumptuous sin that is not pleasing to the Lord.

 

Those who cannot find a good or edifying thing to say are demonstrating a pompous, presumptuous religion instead of a pure religion, according to the Word of God. When we use our tongues in ways that are slanderous, cunning, discouraging or tale-bearing we are hurting the forward motion of the living God.

 

Presumptuous religionists might feel that they have a right to share their opinions regardless of the damage that they could cause by doing so. They may stand firm in the position that "it needed to be said!" Unfortunately, things said cannot be taken back, and Christians should not say or do certain things that would discourage the people of God. God hates this matter of discord being sown.

 

Years ago, a pastor gave some advice to the leaders in his church. "I once formed a mutual encouragement fellowship at a time of stress during a pastorate," he said. "I asked the members to subscribe to a simple formula applied before speaking of any person or of any subject that may have caused discord. I asked them to T.H.I.N.K. before they speak."

 

Then he described the following acrostic:

Is it True?

Is it Helpful?

Is it Inspiring?

Is it Necessary?

Is it Kind?

 

Most of us could be better Christians if we use this acrostic and take it upon ourselves to T.H.I.N.K. before we speak. If what we want to say is not true, lovely, honest, and of good report we ought not be thinking of it. Won't you ask God to help you to edify and encourage His people as they seek to do His will?

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