Fear No Fear

(All scripture from the NET, netbible.org, all rights reserved)

For we all stumble in many ways. If someone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect individual, able to control the entire body as well. And if we put bits into the mouths of horses to get them to obey us, then we guide their entire bodies. Look at ships too: Though they are so large and driven by harsh winds, they are steered by a tiny rudder wherever the pilot’s inclination directs. So, too, the tongue is a small part of the body, yet it has great pretensions. Think how small a flame sets a huge forest ablaze. And the tongue is a fire! The tongue represents the world of wrongdoing among the parts of our bodies. It pollutes the entire body and sets fire to the course of human existence—and is set on fire by hell.
James 3:2-6 (emphasis added)

If you are not stumbling because of your words, you are perfect. Which means that we should NOT be surprised when our words are a gaff – a careless mistake. It is SO HARD to watch our words. You should have heard of the ten second rule where you count to ten before responding to people. It’s been taught for a long while now and it is very effective. Pausing for ten seconds can help you dissipate your feelings and refocus on the people and your intent about what you are communicating. For a believer, it is a perfect amount of time to check in with Ruach HaKodesh as to what we should be saying and how we should be saying it. As with so many things, it is a simple principle. Hard to do on a consistent basis, though.

To start with, what is in our hearts is what comes out. “But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these things defile a person” (Matthew 15:18). Jesus was standing on the Word here. We are to store up the Word in our heart (Psalm 119:11). We don’t slip when the Word is in our hearts (Psalm 37:31). Our hearts are a source of life (Proverbs 4:23). Our words and our hearts should match AND match Adonai’s point of view (Psalm 19:14). The desire to obey Him should be in our hearts (Deuteronomy 8:2). Jesus taught these principles. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Luke 12:34; also Matthew 6:21). “The good person out of the good treasury of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasury produces evil, for his mouth speaks from what fills his heart” (Luke 6:45). The religious elite of Jesus’ day were obsessed with actions and works according to a codified Law, but they had lost the desire in their hearts to keep the SPIRIT of the Law. To try and obey from a desire to LOVE Adonai. They were striving for perfection with their actions, but they were rotten in their hearts – which caused them to hate and be a burden to those who followed their teachings (Matthew 23:1-7).

The tongue is very hard to tame. It speaks from what is on our hearts – with NO filter. It ALSO speaks whatever comes to mind – speaking from the flesh – unless we pause to control it. To consider what words, phrasing, and tone is about to come out of our mouths. But as humans, we’re selfish. Gotta get the words out! We talk and talk and talk and talk. Not letting pauses happen. Namkje Koudenberg of the University of Groningen (she was a PhD student there in 2011) once said, ‘When conversations flow, people often have the feeling they have things in common with the other person and that they belong and agree with one another.’ She and other researchers did some studies and found ‘that the participants felt more belonging, self-esteem and social validation when there was flow’. They found that pauses of more than FOUR seconds caused people to start to feel unsettled – English speaking people anyway.

Others in Japan found that in a business setting EIGHT seconds was fine, but they have a cultural comfortability with contemplation. Giving pause to reflect before speaking is crucial, yet it seems that the English speaking world is at a disadvantage. Donal Carbaugh of the University of Massachusetts Amherst has said that ‘When you have a heterogeneous complex of difference, it’s hard to establish common understanding unless you talk and there’s understandably a kind of anxiety unless people are verbally engaged to establish a common life’. You can increasingly see this mindset at play in current society. There is a DESPERATION for ‘inclusivity’. As if there isn’t inclusion unless ‘special interests’ have a moment in the spotlight. Unless we all agree that the way everyone else wants to live is perfectly fine. Unless we ALL agree that there is NOT a universal, objective framework of morality – which of course believers are unable to do.

So even though a pause before speaking is about the only HUMAN way to control our speech, some fairly large ethnic, social, and cultural groups are VERY uncomfortable with that. Anxiety and fear can be triggered by awkward silence or a disruption in a conversation – and everyone’s definition of what an awkward silence or disruption is differs (my partner is more of a one-on-one or turn-taker conversationalist and I was raised in a more social or cooperative overlapping conversationalist environment). Because of this human habit of filling silence in many situations, it is hard for us to train ourselves to listen for input from a still, small, voice. As with many things of the Kingdom, though, it is something we must do because we just can’t do it on our own. It MUST be done though.

“Do you want to really live? Would you love to live a long, happy life? Then make sure you don’t speak evil words or use deceptive speech. Turn away from evil and do what is right. Strive for peace and promote it” (Psalm 34:12-14). “You must let no unwholesome word come out of your mouth, but only what is beneficial for the building up of the one in need, that it would give grace to those who hear” (Ephesians 4:29). “If someone thinks he is religious yet does not bridle his tongue, and so deceives his heart, his religion is futile” (James 1:26). “From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. These things should not be so, my brothers and sisters. A spring does not pour out fresh water and bitter water from the same opening, does it? Can a fig tree produce olives, my brothers and sisters, or a vine produce figs? Neither can a salt water spring produce fresh water” (James 3:10-12). “They must not slander anyone, but be peaceable, gentle, showing complete courtesy to all people” (Titus 3:2). “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer everyone” (Colossians 4:6).

We NEED to bridle our tongues. To keep them from blurting out any old thing. We need to make sure we are choosing to speak kind, gentle, encouraging, and righteous words. But we also (many of us) don’t like pauses in conversation and it can often make things seem worse. How to we reconcile these two opposing things? How can we make sure that the right things are coming out, but not make other people anxious by always pausing, and control the tongue that resists all attempts to control it (James 3:8)? The answer – as always – is JESUS. We need Jesus. In HIM we can be all things because HE is all things. And Jesus told us EXACTLY how to be victorious in this area.

“The good person out of the good treasury of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasury produces evil, for his mouth speaks from what fills his heart” (Luke 6:45). Remember that one? THAT is the roadmap for good and righteous speech. We fill our hearts with the Word and IT will be what Adonai uses to help us. “Do not be conformed to this present world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may test and approve what is the will of God—what is good and well-pleasing and perfect” (Romans 12:2). Adonai uses the Word to retrain us to appreciate HIS point of view. “Consequently faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the preached word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). The Word strengthens and deepens our TRUST in Him which helps us to trust that IN THE MOMENT Ruach HaKodesh will give us the words that best suit the people and situation we are in all the time, round the clock (Luke 12:11-12). “Your word is a lamp to walk by and a light to illumine my path” (Psalm 119:105). When the Word is in our hearts, it shows us the way we should travel with our bodies, minds, words, thoughts, and deeds.

When our hearts are actively full of the Word, we don’t have to think before we speak because what we have inside will naturally come out: the Word. In fact, it is SO automatic that we won’t have to worry about it. We’ll KNOW that the Word will come out. We’ll KNOW that Ruach HaKodesh will guide out speech, enabling us to say things that Adonai has placed in our hearts possibly without our realising it AND to say them in the way best suited for our audience. We will TRUST Adonai with our words and speech and everything else about communication (and more). We will KNOW what the Father is showing us through the Word, so we will KNOW what He has shown us to say (John 12:49-50). Just like Jesus did and does. We will be full of words of life which are health and healing to those around us since the WORD is health and healing to the human body (Proverbs 3:8). The ONLY catch here is getting the Word inside us.

What we are confessing with our mouths – intentionally or in idle conversation – is a reflection of what is in our hearts. What is in us comes out of us. THIS is why we have to watch what we put in. THIS is why we have to watch the conversations that we participate in. When we gossip we’re not using proper behaviour. It can SEEM harmless, but the Word tells us that it isn’t. “The one who goes about gossiping reveals secrets; therefore do not associate with someone who is always opening his mouth” (Proverbs 20:19). All of our speech should be based on TRUTH – THE truth, not ‘our’ truth (Ephesians 4:25). All speech should come from a place of love. “But practicing the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Christ, who is the head” (Ephesians 4:15). Since love is kind, patient, generous, modest, humble, egoless, unobtrusive, deferential, unassuming, polite, civil, courteous, altruistic, humane, selfless, imperturbable, collected, composed, cool, nonchalant, unruffled, nice, sympathetic, thoughtful, benevolent, friendly, just, equitable, fair, and rejoices in the truth (1 Corinthians 13:4-6); all of our speech should do the same. Seems like a hefty load to bear, but crosses aren’t light (Matthew 16:24-26). We’re to shoulder the burden and follow in Jesus footsteps BUT the burden? It is NOT burdensome. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke on you and learn from me because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and my load is not hard to carry” (Matthew 11:28-30).

That means that all this stuff? It is NOT difficult when we are abiding in JESUS. When we are focused on Him, putting Adonai first, meditating and reading the Word with the idea of being shown Jesus and understanding what Adonai has to say, praising and worshipping the Father, and being THANKFUL for all that we have, it is easy. The only hard part is being consistent with our choice to do it. We aren’t sinners, we are the REDEEMED (Ephesians 1:7). The world is FULL of distractions. The enemy is very motivated to get your eyes off the Word. “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, we must get rid of every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and run with endurance the race set out for us, keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy set out for him he endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. Think of him who endured such opposition against himself by sinners, so that you may not grow weary in your souls and give up” (Hebrews 12:1-3). We don’t have to fall to that temptation to look away. We can keep our focus on Jesus. Thinking about what He did for us – which is one reason why we participate in communion: to REMEMBER (Luke 22:19). We can think about all those others who have gone before us – like those in Acts. We can remember what they did and what they went through. We can take their good example (2 Timothy 4:7-8) and strive to do the same. Can it be hard? Difficult? Uncomfortable? Yes, but the rewards FAR outweigh any difficulty AND it is a brief moment in time only. These things NEVER last long. Not from Adonai’s point of view. “For our momentary, light suffering is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison because we are not looking at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen. For what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:17-18).

If the Father is our Source and the Word our food (John 1:14-18; 6:35), then we can fill our hearts to the brim with that. We can keep our eyes on Him by cultivating habits that are healthy. Rising in the morning with praise on our lips. Thanking Him throughout the day – especially when things look like they are going sour. Changing our attitude by changing the mode we are in. Complaining? That’s downward thinking. Thanksgiving? That’s throneward thinking. The more we look to the One sitting on the Throne, the more we will see from His point of view. We will BELIEVE we are redeemed from sickness when we see the OVERWHELMING LIFE that shines out of Him toward us (Galatians 3:13; Psalms 91:5-7). We will BELIEVE that Ruach HaKodesh will renew our bodies from the DNA level outward simply because He is inside us (Romans 8:11). Our very words – which will be HIS words – will give life to us and those around us JUST BY BEING AUDIBLY CONFESSED (Proverbs 18:21; 1 Peter 3:9).

Let the Word that you meditate into your heart be the bridle that protects your speech. Let the Word that you pray into your heart be the substance you form your conversations out of. Let the Word that you praise in your heart be the instant vocabulary that comes out in times of stress and action. Let the Word that you study be the strength in the verbal hugs of encouragement that you spread to everyone you meet. The true worth of everything we say is in our hearts. The more of Jesus (the Word) that is in it, the more it will colour every phrase that comes out of our mouths from casual horsing around to a gab session over a beverage to serious heart-to-heart discussions. Jesus is to be the Lord over ALL of our lives which includes EVERYTHING we say be it comforting a child to educating a friend to talk around the water cooler to the cries in the throws of passion. Jesus made ALL of life, He is aware of ALL of life, He is to be the head of ALL our life, and the Father is to be the Source of ALL that we do with the life that we are living in Jesus. It can take some time to really wrap our minds around it, but we have access to Messiah Jesus’ mind so it is very possible (1 Corinthians 2:16).

Cultivate the Word so that our WORDS are the fruit from that seed. The growth from that planting of the Father’s point of view. The reflection of what is truly in our heart: Jesus.

Daily Affirmation Jesus IS Messiah: Isaiah 40:11

“Like a shepherd he tends his flock; he gathers up the lambs with his arm; he carries them close to his heart; he leads the ewes along.” Messiah would be a shepherd: a compassionate life-giver to those under His care. Not a tyrant. Not a militant. But a guide, helper, director. Someone willing to give their life for protection. Someone able to see the big picture and take us where we will have the best life. A protector whose greatest pleasure is seeing His flock thrive. “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come so that they may have life, and may have it abundantly. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, who is not a shepherd and does not own sheep, sees the wolf coming and abandons the sheep and runs away. So the wolf attacks the sheep and scatters them. Because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep, he runs away. “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not come from this sheepfold. I must bring them too, and they will listen to my voice, so that there will be one flock and one shepherd. This is why the Father loves me—because I lay down my life, so that I may take it back again. No one takes it away from me, but I lay it down of my own free will. I have the authority to lay it down, and I have the authority to take it back again. This commandment I received from my Father” (John 10:10-18). Jesus WAS and IS our shepherd. This is shown no clearer than in Revelation 1:12-20 where Jesus as King and High Priest is standing amidst the seven churches, intently watching them and speaking a word of praise and/or correction to each one. Knowing their exact condition and interceding to alter their course back to the middle of the Father’s will (where needed) so that they could enjoy the FULL Blessing. Jesus IS our high priest (Hebrews 4:14-16). He is our Light and our Fellowship and our guide to the Father (1 John 1:5-10). Jesus IS the Messiah!

Your Daily Confession of Jesus/Yeshua’s Identity:

Yeshua is the Christ, the Son of the living God.

Matthew 16:16b