Do Unto Others with Respect
In this message on respect, we focus on our words. Words can change the course of a person’s life, for better or worse. They can heal, or they can wound, build up or tear down, unite or tear apart. This is why throughout scripture we are warned about what we say and don’t say.
James 3 warns us to tame our tongues. Although small, a tongue can control our entire being. James compares the tongue to the bit in a horse’s mouth, a rudder on a ship, and a spark that sets an entire forest on fire. In fact, James says that the tongue is fire and when left untamed sets the entire body on fire with the fire of hell.
In Matthew 5:21-22, Jesus warns us that it isn’t just our words that we must tame but also our thoughts. He equates harboring anger toward someone with murder, subject to judgment and in danger of the fire of hell.
Why does scripture emphasize taming our words and thoughts? Jesus answers this question in Matthew 12:34b, “For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” Jesus emphasizes the consequences of taming our words and thoughts in Matthew 12:37, “for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
Peter tells us in 1 Peter 3 that followers of Christ are held to a higher calling and standard. Followers of Christ, “Do not repay evil for evil or abuse for abuse, but, on the contrary, repay with a blessing. It is for this that you were called—that you might inherit a blessing.” (1 Peter 3:8)