"Need to Succeed"

"Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips." (Psalms 141:3)

  Of all the things to talk about, what we talk about, is one that needs to be held in check. As weird as it might sound, these are the things that cause us to be salt that has lost it's flavor: what we say is very important, because you cannot take it back! Once you express yourself in a certain way, that is it, as the story goes: The cat is out of the bag! I truly wish there was some way to erase some of the things I have said, because in the heat of a moment, it is really hard to control what might come out of my mouth. Call it frustration, or just call it anger; either way, when the right buttons are pushed, things can get very horizontal, to say the least. This is not just a silly little thing that needs to be dealt with; this is a vital part of what needs to be under control. And if it is happening to anyone, especially on a regular basis, you really need to check yourself, because your salvation might be in question. James addresses this several times, the first of which is as he addresses the issue of works, saying, "If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, that man's religion is vain." (James 1:26) I really doubt James is saying that the person cannot be saved, it is more that the person does not practice what salvation looks like; the power that comes with being saved! You know that old song, "There is power, power, wonder working power, in the precious blood of the Lamb!" This is nothing more than us asking God to keep us in check; which is what we must do, and we need to do it well! As James explains it, a little later in his letter, "But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison." (James 3:8) This is something that we need to have God's help in, because otherwise, we cannot control it on our own. I think it has more to do with our ability to forget sometimes what we are, whether that might due to unconfessed sin, or just a real serious lack of fellowship. But it must be something that we overcome, because it can seriously destroy our testimony, to say the least. That word, "vain," which James uses is speaking about empty and devoid of force or success. In other words, it has no power! How can anyone practice a religion that does not work? Come on, and think about what this looks like; because those watching are trying to figure you out! Remember, this is about, "A Prayer for Preservation From Evil," which is not just speaking about the evil we face, but is also talking about the evil within...

"For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body." (James 3:2)