James 3:2, “For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body.”
Don’t you hate it when you have said something and wish you could take it back and do a replay with editing voice options and word choices? It came out wrong and not the way you intended. Then it replays in your mind over and over. That is when I would like to hide in my verbal stumbling but can’t. James includes himself among those who stumble and yet refers to himself as “a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,” in James 1:1.
“The ancient Greek word translated stumble does not imply a fatal fall, but something that trips us up and hinders our spiritual progress.” David Guzik, Commentary. The enemy will play within our heads in condemning us, making us feel like we are a failure. But when we do, it is not fatal. A mistake is a mistake like tripping over your feet and breaking a piece of artwork or glassware. Or a football player who misses that catch, fumbles, and loses the game. Mistakes and regrets are all lessons to be learned from and give us wisdom in our character to better walk with the Lord, marked by less stumbling.
James makes a point about how small in size the tongue is and lists other similar examples: (1) Bits in horses’ mouths are small but are the tool to make them obey the rider; (2) Ships are large yet have a small rudder that is used to steer the right direction on the water. (3) Fires are set by a small spark. (4) the tongue is small but like a raging fire; uncontrolled can do significant damage. So, if we can bridle our tongue, we can become perfect. But James 3:10 states, “Out of the mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be.” That is where we pray and work on self-control that will affect our influence.
We must remember that all means all when the Bible says that all men sin (1 Kings 8:46, 1 John 1:8). Sometimes that is the only comfort I have when I have said something I wish I hadn’t and ask the Lord for His mercy to be shown to me and sent to the person I am afraid I have offended that was not my intention. I so identify with the Message’s version of James 3:2, “We get it wrong nearly every time we open our mouths. If you could find someone whose speech was perfectly true, you’d have a perfect person, in perfect control of life.” This is all very depressing not being able to be perfect and focusing on the mistakes we all have made with our conversations. But James gives encouragement in verses 13-15 on how to live for Christ:
“Do you want to be counted wise, to build a reputation for wisdom? Here’s what you do: Live well, live wisely, live humbly. It is the way you live, not the way you talk, that counts. Mean-spirited ambition isn’t wisdom. Boasting that you are wise isn’t wisdom. Twisting the truth to make yourselves sound wise isn’t wisdom.”
Louie Giglio stated in his book, Don’t Give The Enemy A Seat At Your Table, “He’ll kick you when your’re down. Maybe you’re lonely. Or angry. Or tired. Whenever you feel burdened or pressured, you become more susceptible to evil’s influence (page 46). . . He wants to cause division between you and the people who care for you (page 47).” Contrast the lies with the truths of God’s Word. James tells us to “live well, live wisely, live humbly.” Will you be perfect? No, you (I) will stumble, but it is not fatal, but a minor setback. Your dignity may be damaged, but this is where lessons are learned. Follow your great Shepherd. Focus on His presence with you right now. Ask Him to provide what you need.
Listen to Danny Gokey’s We All Need Jesus