To Control di Tongue

One small spark fly comot from one fire wey people make for outside. E land for dry grass. Thin line of smoke. Then small flame. And by morning, one whole hillside don black.

James, di brother of Jesus and one leader of di church for Jerusalem, dey write to Christians wey scatter for plenty lands. Im letter full of wisdom for everyday life. And one thing dey worry am pass most things: di way believers dey talk. Words wey people talk with anger. Gossip. Boasting. People dey praise God together for worship, and then dem dey tear each other down di very next day. So for chapter three, James paint some pictures, things wey im readers dey see every day, to show how one few words fit get power.

E start with one warning for teachers. No be plenty of una suppose become teachers, e talk, because dem go judge di people wey dey teach more strictly. And then e confess one honest thing. All of us dey stumble for many ways. Anybody wey no dey ever stumble for wetin e talk, dat person perfect, e fit control im whole body. Then di pictures come. Think about horse. We dey put small iron for im mouth, and we fit turn di whole animal anywhere wey we want. Or think about ship. E big well well, and strong wind dey push am. But one very small rudder dey steer am, anywhere wey di pilot choose. Na so too di tongue be small part of di body, but e dey boast big things.

Then di most famous picture. See how small fire fit burn big forest! One tiny flame fit make one great forest burn. And di tongue na fire, James talk. One wicked word fit spread from one person to another person, until one whole friendship, or one whole church, dey burn. Then James talk one thing wey go shock you. People don tame every kind of animal, birds and reptiles and creatures wey dey sea. But no human being fit tame di tongue. E no dey rest, e full with poison wey dey kill. James no dey talk say make we give up. E dey talk say we no fit do dis one by our own strength. We need God help.

See wetin trouble James pass. With di same tongue we dey bless God our Father, and with am we dey curse people, wey God make for im own likeness. From di same mouth, blessing and curse dey come out. My brothers and sisters, e no suppose be like dis. Spring water fit pour out sweet water and salt water from di same hole? Fig tree fit bear olives? No, e no fit. Then James turn from di tongue go di heart wey dey behind am. Who get wisdom among una? Make e show am by good life, by works wey e do with gentleness. If una heart full with bitter jealousy and selfish ambition, no boast about am. Dat one no be wisdom from God. But di wisdom wey dey come from above first dey pure, then e dey bring peace, e dey gentle, e dey ready to listen, e full with mercy and good fruits. And di people wey dey make peace dey plant di fruit of righteousness inside peace. Peacemakers, James talk, dey plant seeds for peace, and dem dey harvest goodness.

Ships for James time no get one rudder wey hang for di middle of di back, like di ships wey come later. Na big oars for steering dem dey use, usually one for each side near di back, and one helmsman dey work dem. Even one big merchant ship, wey carry hundreds of tons of grain, one man fit turn am as e dey move one long, narrow blade. Di book of Acts mention how dem loose di ropes wey tie dis steering oars during Paul shipwreck.

To control di tongue. You go find James pictures for James chapter three. Small iron, small rudder, small spark. Words small, but dem dey steer lives, and with God help dem fit build up instead of to burn down. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Which words you fit use today to bring peace, instead of to start fire?