Even though the letter of James was almost not included in our Bible, and despite the fact that Luther himself was not keen on the writings of James, it does provide concrete steps, the “how to” that we so desperately need for living out our Christian faith, especially what we say to others and how we say it. Sometimes, we say things without really paying attention to how or what we say; for example, swearing or lies. When we bang our toe on the table leg or we make a mistake or something, the words just come out. This can be attributed to our bad habits.
What we say can help others, show kindness to others, but can also hurt others more than we realize. Things like gossip, lies, misinformation and destructive words can have a great negative impact on others.
So, don’t use your words to hurt others—intentionally or otherwise. Instead use your words for help and encouragement.
Forgiving God, we are sorry if the words we use are hurtful to others. We ask for your guidance in using words that are helpful. And we pray that everyone will also watch the words that they use. Amen. —