The Songs We Sing
Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.
-James 3:10
As we have been seeing, James powerfully addresses the life of faith. Faith is far more than a set of ideas. It is a lifestyle. It is living out of and into the Truth. It is a moment-by-moment walk in fellowship with the Holy Spirit.
James helps us develop a sensitivity to our own heart posture. Are we walking in faith or unbelief? And he applies it to so many fundamental aspects of life—money, relationships, words, business, etc.
James 3 takes us deep into the power of the tongue. Like nitroglycerine, our words can be explosive. At the most basic level, our words reveal whether we are walking in faith or unbelief.
Words of self-promotion, gossip, slander, and bitterness reveal our inner state. When they pour out, it is because we are not walking in the Spirit. Instead, we are operating in the flesh—unbelief.
Words that produce life, blessing, hope, and peace also reveal our inner state. They reveal a heart that is in sync with the Holy Spirit. They reveal a posture of faith.
It really is that simple.
James’ entire understanding of transformation moves from the INSIDE OUT. In other words, while some have used James to promote performance-based legalism, James is actually doing the opposite. His focus on behavior is not meant to promote a “pull yourself up by the bootstraps” spirituality.
James wants us to be aware. To develop a sensitivity to the state of our heart. The transformation we want to experience begins when we’re clued into our state. Again, it is simple—faith or unbelief.
So often, the Enemy is singing into our heart. He plays the strings of our mindset like an expert. He vies for our attention and agreement with his melody. He wants our state to be mired in unbelief, not propelled in passionate faith.
The best way to combat this is to manage our interior posture actively. And I believe we can do that by confessing TRUTH. I’ll simply close with three essential messages that we should carry in our hearts every day. When we do, our words will reflect a heart in sync with the Holy Spirit.
THREE ESSENTIAL MESSAGES:
I worship an AWESOME GOD who OVERFLOWS WITH GOODNESS & LOVE!
I am a BELOVED CHILD OF GOD
I can do ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST, WHO STRENGTHENS ME! The HOLY SPIRIT will ALWAYS GIVE ME WHAT I NEED FOR EVERY SITUATION. I just need to ask.