ICS Daily Devotions
Casting the First Stone

James 3:8-12 (NKJV) But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, THESE THINGS OUGHT NOT TO BE SO. Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh. (emphasis added)

James, the brother of Jesus who wrote this epistle stressed a lot about having a real walk with God and not just having a mere religion. He encouraged us to walk the talk. He covered quite extensively regarding how to live out our faith in the midst of trials and how not to show favoritism in church. He rebuked the rich for oppressing the poor. All these attitudes actually affect how we communicate with others. It is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth will speak.

Recently Naomi Osaka pulled out of the French Open tournament citing her struggles with bouts of depression. Prior to the report of her withdrawal on BBC, it was reported that she was hurt by comments that she always performs poorly on clay courts and the post-match interviews did not help with her mental health. High performance athletes face a different kind of stress. They are expected to perform and maintain a high standard. There are high expectations from the sponsors and the fans. They have to keep themselves physically fit and mentally focused on each and every match. In fact, they need to shut off all distractions before the match in order to be focused. What we are not aware of, is that negative words get stuck in our minds and they are not good for our morale. The above situation is a classic example of the power of negative words. It is especially true when we hear these words from people who mean a lot to us. Unfortunately, social media can be a very powerful tool to destroy someone because of the unkind comments that are posted liberally. Some actresses have committed suicide over cyber-bullying. Words are loaded and powerful regardless whether they are spoken or written because they affect our soul. We should also remember that our loved ones are also highly stressed in the marketplace or at home therefore we must be careful not to add fuel to the fire with our words. We need to learn to speak words that encourage, edify and comfort someone. Our speech should be seasoned with salt, brings grace and gives strength to the hearer.

Let those who have not sinned with their words cast the first stone. No one is able to claim that they have never hurt others with their speech. We are all guilty. We are works in progress. Therefore, no one is able to cast the first stone.

Sermon Series: Ouch! It Hurts!