“Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.”
The Tongue
James names a genuine, troubling contradiction here, the same mouth blessing God and cursing men, worth examining directly, this inconsistency worth taking seriously rather than treated as simply, unavoidably normal, two entirely separate categories of speech that happen to share the same source.
Notice which are made after the similitude of God, the specific reason given for why this contradiction genuinely matters, cursing men treated here as functionally connected to how you actually treat God’s own image, worth holding as needed correction against however much this connection has gone unexamined.
This is worth applying honestly to whatever gap exists between your own worship, genuine blessing offered to God, and your own ordinary speech about other people, made in that same God’s image, worth examining whether this specific inconsistency James names has actually, honestly characterized your own mouth.
Consider today this specific contradiction in your own life, worship offered genuinely to God alongside whatever cursing or harsh speech has also, honestly, come from this same mouth, and receive James’s own direct instruction, these things ought not so to be, worth taking as genuine, actionable correction.
Guard Your Words
- Notice honestly the gap between your worship of God and your speech about people made in his image.
- Consider one specific person you have cursed or spoken harshly of, made after God’s own similitude.
- Practice today speaking of at least one person the way you would speak in worship.
Prayer
Lord, forgive me for blessing you while cursing those made in your image. Let these things not so be in my own mouth any longer, this contradiction genuinely addressed. Amen.
Carry this today
Cursing people made in God’s image is functionally connected to how you treat God himself.