James 1:26—Worthless, unbridled deception

If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless. James 1:26

I’ll bet no one ever said to this apostle, “James; tell us what you really think.” My guess is that if James were alive today, he would not be the most popular preacher in town. Party invitations might be skimpy, as well.

However, this baby brother of Jesus speaks straight into the heart of every believer and gives each of us a chance to reflect and make adjustments.

If anyone thinks himself to be religious…

I know—we’re in a relationship, not a religion; I agree. But in today’s vernacular, James could have easily said, “If anyone thinks himself to be in relationship…” The Greek word for “religious”, by the way, means “fearing or worshipping God” (see http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/Lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?strongs=G2357&t=KJV ), not the mere outward show of religion. Therefore, James is speaking to all of us who believe that we fear and worship God.

…and yet does not bridle his tongue…

Remember to whom James was writing—blood-bought, righteous, cleansed-from-sin men and women of God, not the world. James boldly set the bar high for Christian conversation, and as much as you or I may want to wiggle that bar down a bit to suit our situations and “deep concerns”, this bar was fixed in place back then and remains just as immovable today. Ouch.

The standard James upheld was that you and I bridle our tongues. This issue burned in his heart; he wrote in depth about it later in his letter. However, including it in his section on temptation and trial, he revealed a key element to successful endurance while under any attack—bridle your tongue.

Notice that James placed the responsibility of tongue-bridling on each individual. You and I are accountable before God for all of our words. Good news, though, if you have a hard time bridling your tongue: Psalm 141:3 says, “Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips.” This verse has been a true help for me when I have been tempted to speak out of turn; indeed, I have developed a well-worn path to this verse in prayer.

At key times when facing trials, I have bridled my tongue; I have also let my tongue do its own thing a time or two when under attack. I have kept track, and according to my documentation—duly noted in conformity with the scientific method—when encountering trials, the bridled tongue produces far better results.

During those key attacks when I bridled my tongue—whether concerning other people, health, finances, emotional turmoil, stress, or something else—the trial didn’t always resolve as quickly as I would have liked, but when it did resolve, there was cleanness to the outcome. I walked away with gratefulness to God and wonder at His working. The memory of those trials—when walked through with a bridled tongue—produce joy and a great sense of victory.

On the other hand, I have walked through numerous other trials with my mouth flapping away. I’ve been angry, upset, disappointed, scared, hurt, and I let others hear about it again and again; and even if the trial resolved quickly, there was a sense of loss, nonetheless. It’s uncanny how this happens. Without fail, when I let my mouth run—even though God eventually comes through for me—I feel the let down of my disobedience along the way…and it is so avoidable! My scientific experimentation with bridled and unbridled tongue during trials proves conclusively—the bridled tongue is better!

…but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless.

James cuts no slack. When you allow your mouth to spew out unbridled words, take serious heed and put a stop to it. If you continue unchecked, you will deceive your own heart. This is a sober warning.

Perhaps most grievous of all, however, is James’ assessment concerning the religion (or relationship with Christ) of the Christian who proceeds unrestrained with unbridled speech. James writes this man’s religion is worthless. It is devastating to think that I could go through life as a professing Christian, and yet come to realize that due to my undisciplined speaking, it was all for naught.

These are sobering words, but they are Truth. As I think about this verse, I am aware of areas in my life that I must shore up and allow the Lord to correct. I pray that you, as well, will find the help you need to shore up your words and your walk with Him. It’s His will that you grow to be perfect and complete—unblemished by your words—and lacking in nothing.

Let Him help you.

Dorothy