Tripping over our own Holy tongues.

Scripture:
“We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.” James 3:2 (NIV)
“What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” James 4:1-3 (NIV)
“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” 1 Peter 5:8-9 (NIV)


Application:
None of us is perfect (James 3:2). Those of us who study and instruct others on God's Holy law are held at a higher standard of accountability.
Scary, but fair: The world needs the instruction God has given us to share. Yes, even us imperfect vessels can carry Holy water to a parched world.
If we find ourselves stumbling into Satan's traps once and a while, we aren't alone (1 Peter 5:8,9). We must be on our guard. We must ask God to tame our tongues (James 4:1-3). Yes, those same tongues that we use to tell others to praise God will get us into trouble and be used against us.
This doesn't have to happen.
Ask God to give us the right words to use—or no words to use (i.e., silence)—when our fleshly, imperfect selves are tempted to get into fights. We need to pray this for each other, too.
God will give us that.
He promises.
He delivers.


Prayer:
Father, You know when and where we are prone to fail. Please give us early warnings of our danger zones. Please help us keep our words pure and help us bring forth Your teachings without hypocrisy. Amen.