James 3:8 "But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison."Although the tongue is blamed for bad things, good things can slip right off that appendage:
James 3:9 "Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. 10 Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be."Although the tongue says bad things and it's the same tool men use to bless God, it's not the tongue which is at fault. It's the person's heart! God can tame the tongue when no man can! The heart isn't merely the organ which pumps lifeblood. It's a term used to describe a person's character, spiritual condition, and emotions. The tongue is a reflection of what the consistency of the person is! Are people made of vomit and filth or are they made of honey, spices and sunshine? You can tell much about a person by the "color" of the tongue. The color is not pink, white or dark, of which I'm speaking, but the words which flow from it!
James 3:13 "Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom."Wow! This is potent! This describes a "tame tongue"! First off a person with a "good" tongue has good conversations. Conversations consist of four things: listening, evaluating (silence), and concluding (silence) and speaking. Half of these activities are in silence... or so they should be! In effect any speaker should only be heard 25% of the time in a conversation. (I've seen women talking when there were no silence on the part of either!)
Note: That "concluding" should not be done while the person is still speaking because more is to come and a good listener requires attentiveness. Some people start forming their response instead of listening, which is good manners and a duty!
"Good conversations" are a product of wise men with knowledge. Knowledge is truth. It's not opinions. Wise men have opinions, but it's based on knowledge. Wisdom is having a base on which to evaluate knowledge (facts) and apply it in a beneficial way to real life. "Good conversations" aren't consumed with destructive comments, insults, undue criticism, cursing nor name calling! In fact when a person resorts to cursing or name-calling, they've spilled the beans. They haven't a rebuttal and the calm person wins the debate, providing the calm person doesn't use the same tactics!
A "good conversation" can have elements which elevate what one does. The best place for doing that is in a job interview! It's then okay to state one's accomplishments, not to brag, but to describe one's own honest value to a potential employer. We hear candidates for office talk about what they've accomplished in most speeches and debates. That's okay! It is a job interview! However, it must be done with meekness which comes with wisdom. A wise man can brag on himself without being narcissistic. An example is Paul:
In 2 Corinthians 2:16 "I (Paul) say again, let no man think me a fool; if otherwise, yet as a fool receive me, that I may boast myself a little.Paul spoke brazenly of what he accomplished for the Lord! He boasted. He bragged! The balance of the chapter is about what he did for the love of the Lord: his boldness, he's the seed of Abraham, a minister of Christ, he is more than that; abundant labors, five times forty stripes (floggings), beaten with stones, shipwrecked, in the perils of waters and robbers, heathen, etc., in pain, hunger and thirst and nakedness, and the fear of being apprehended by those in authority! Paul bragged! However, his boasting was not for self-aggrandizement, but for what he did for the Lord. He was speaking of his boldness for the Lord, not to elevate himself, but the worthiness of the Lord!
Paul wasn't applying for a job nor running for office. He was revealing his resume' in the work of the Lord. What he said was spoken with his tongue, but he was spilling his heart! He cared about he of whom he spoke and it was all about Jesus, not Paul. That's meekness!
Now let us digress: Compare Dr. Benjamin Carson and Donald Trump. They both have a brilliant resume' and it's time to boast. Their campaigning is their job interview. They must convince their future employers (us) that they are good employees. Both have told their story. They have told of their successes and how their wisdom will be applied to making things better for us. They are both sincere!
There are two differences which are obvious. Dr. Carson is meek and although he boasts, what he does is what's right in the Lord's eyes. You can tell that his desire is for the nation to be righteous and prosper (in that order) which is really the Abrahamic Covenant. With Carson there is no animosity, name-calling, belittling nor arrogance. He states truth matter-of-factly and without distortion, like it or leave it! He truly is a knowledgeable, wise and meek person in spite of his success.
Trump is confident, knowledgeable, forceful and a born leader. However, his manner is the opposite of Carson's. He name-calls, provokes, boasts and is narcissistic. However, he does speak his mind and does little truth-twisting. Trump is not modest nor wise in his criticism. At some point what he has said will come back on him. I believe that he has good intentions for the betterment of the people as does Dr. Carson.
However, to get things done when elected, Trump will rely on the wisdom and knowledge of Trump, I believe. Carson will rely on God to lead him. He will put Abraham's Covenant into play again. Both are confident men. Both can be players who can accomplish. Who shall it be that Christians support? Without questioning anyone's faith, Carson is more righteous in his approach, while Trump is more a general in a war. This is war! He will make a good general.
Christians must evaluate, when the time comes, how they are to vote. Do you see how scripture can be used? Don't vote based on popularity, herd mentality, the media, appearances, smooth words, etc. Take it to God!
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