James 3:1‏

1. "Not many [of you] should become teachers (self-constituted censors and reprovers of others), my brethren, for you know that we [teachers] will be judged by a higher standard and with greater severity [than other people; thus we assume the greater accountability and the more condemnation]."

Looking at this study from the context of God's love, we must consider how important our day-to-day activity is to Him. From our view and response to: trials, people in the church, His law, and doing what He says, James turns to the subject of how we can be deceived about our tongues. From several things he writes within this letter, it seems that there was a lot of loose talk going on. They may have been gossiping, complaining, being critical, etc., and maybe they were tempted to believe that loose talk was "no big deal".

James begins the warning with the idea of teaching. You know... to some degree, we are all teachers. I did not say good or bad, just teachers... but, we are teaching someone all the time, whether we mean to or not. God calls, or gift's some to be His teachers, and some assume the title themselves, but there is always some envy of teachers. It was like that then, no differently that today. James is going to help us with loose talk and envy of teachers... as we look at a warning about teaching.

When we are feeling that we are going through a period of distress, we may look to teachers as having an enviable position because they are noticed and listened to. Often, when we feel powerless, we're tempted to believe that those who have some power, from wealth or position, are better off, more blessed, than we are.

James deals with our envy of teachers by reminding us that "those who teach shall be judged with greater strictness." To teach others is not to have the freedom to say whatever you want or to enjoy using your influence over others. Being a teacher has a price with it, and it is because words have so much influence over others that teachers are more strictly judged by God.

James goes on to give us another picture of this perfection to which God is leading us. A perfect person is the one who makes no mistakes in what he says. And in making no mistakes with his words, he is "able to bridle the whole body also."

God wants us to understand the true relationship between what we say and the rest of our lives. The words we speak are "a big deal." How we use our tongue has an effect on how we live. We are fooling ourselves if we believe we can say whatever we want... that it doesn't make any real difference. They are never "just words!"

Let's pick up with James verse 3:2 next time.

I love you.