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NASB | James 3:9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | James 3:9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God. |
Subject: The little words |
Bible Note: Hi, Lissa! In Matthew 12:34 Jesus is speaking of matters of the heart or the deposit of our intellect and spiritual beings... even simple language as "whatever" can have a negative connotation if the heart is ill or thirsty for vengeance or wickedness... we are witness to this duality of language both at home (people, radio, tv, movies...) and elsewhere (office, school, streets...); even children are becoming more and more calloused as they imitate the adults in their lives or their "heroes/idols..." I remember when, years back, I used to relish insulting people with a smile on my face... I was so cunning and subtle that the object of my assault did not even realize it; at times it took a few secods or a third party to clarify that I had meant what I said as an insult (of couse most of the times it was done in jest; but people could never be sure when I was "just kidding"). I loved that sense of "superiority" that "crushing" peoples spirit afforded me... I was much like a stand-up comic... looking for ways to pull the rug from under those around me... Words are so seemingly neutral... yet, we can, and have, learn to twist and bend them just the right way to cause as much or more damage and pain than sticks and stones! This is precisely why there are admonishions in Scripture about the words that we use... I love James 3:9 so much because it liberated me from the negative power of words--OK James uses tongue, instead; just think, if a smile can brighten someone's life... how much more can a pleasant, supportive, and hopeful word/s do? Negative and hurtful words can cause irreparable damage and deep-rooted pain. The worst part is that once released we can never take back the harm we cause with these negavite words--many relationships fail due to the practice of one or both parties engaging in the battle of words. This is why it is so important for Christians to measure themselves and to check their anger at the beginning of any interchange with others, specially with God! (James 1:19-20)... This said, I must counsel you that though we cannot judge another person's deposit of the heart, people, through self-disclosure, reveal to us the treasures that they have stored in their hearts (Jesus words, though not ad verbum)... We are highly intelligent beings... when speaking to others, even over the telephone, we can tell when the other person is distracted, eating, attempting to carry on a conversation with others at his/her end--no matter how subtle the exchange is--, we can tell if the person is happy, sad, tormented with worry, smiling, sympathetic, apathetic... the more intimate the relationship, the more the mind is able to read from the voice, the words, the entonations, the pauses... You are in a position of knowing your ex's habits, body language, and capacity to control or demoralize other people... Culturally "whatever" has become the quintessential word of completeness (encompassing all spectrums: good, bad and ugly--work with me... sometimes I run into old movies or songs in my analogies!)... too often, when people fail to have facts supporting their arguments they resort to use "whatever" as a shield to reject the opposite argument/s... this allows them to safe face by not admitting that their position is wrong! You may not be able to distinguish between animosity or sauciness when speaking with a stranger... but you are able to read your ex in light of your past personal relationship with him... without passing unjust judgment, you can distinguish between a charged or sassy "whatever" or whatever other expressions he may use! Remember to weigh in all of the conversation... if you simply dissect one word out of the total you may elevate it to a value beyond its original intent... the tone of the conversation is also important to gauge the meaning of words... is he being disrespectful, loud, angry, accusatory, defensive, unduly agressive or argumentative...? Lastly, define the status of your relationship... where is it, where is it heading, are there ulterior motives behind the dialy communications, is there a future (or hope for) reconciliation? As a Christian you are obliged to keep the peace and to behave with more justice than the world... but never are you obligated to suffer the world to the extent of sacrificing Christ's Doctrine... Love does not exact selfish deeds... make him aware, if you have not done so yet, of how much he is hurting you; and set clear boundaries on your relationship with him! If after all the prayers, and patient requests your ex cannot curb the behavior which causes you to lose your peace (and eventually your grace), you must consider distancing yourself from him... God Bless! Angel |
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Questions and/or Subjects for James 3:9 | Author | ||
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Lissamz | ||
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JCrichton | ||
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Lissamz | ||
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JCrichton |