“Even so, the tongue is a little member, and it can boast of great things. See how much wood or how great a forest a tiny spark can set ablaze! And the tongue is a fire. [The tongue is a]world of wickedness set among our members, contaminating and depraving the whole body and setting on fire the wheel of birth (the cycle of man’s nature), being itself ignited by hell (Gehenna). But the human tongue can be tamed by no man. It is restless (undisciplined, irreconcilable) evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse men who were made in God’s likeness! Out of the same mouth come forth blessing and cursing. These things, my brethren, ought not to be so” (James 3:5-6, 8-10 AMP).
I was at the checkout the other day at my favorite big box store. The cashier was chatting away with me when I noticed she was bagging my bread in a way that made me nervous. I reached in and grabbed my bread and told her I would just put it in a separate bag. She got upset with me and told me I could bag all the rest of my items too. I was shocked at her sudden attitude. But then I remembered those three very important words, “I am sorry.” I told her I was just particular about my bread and it had nothing to do with her ability to bag groceries. It didn’t seem to help her that I apologized, but it made the world of difference how I felt inside. By taking the time to admit the part my words played in this little incident and by not being afraid to do everything I could to make amends, I walked away with a heart that was at peace. Although it is true that no one is capable of saying the right words all the time, it is possible to recognize the impact that our words have on others, intentional or not. Living a life of no regrets reminds me that I certainly won’t find days when I am perfect and have not messed up in some way or another, but that when I do, I’m going to be held accountable not only for my words and actions, but for the way I handled the situation, and whether I did everything in my power to make amends or walked away refusing to accept responsibility for the wound that I created. Every day brings choices. Are you making the right ones?