Useless Religion
“If anyone among you thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless” (James 1:26).
We have known since childhood that our thighbone is connected to the knee bone. James also tells us the heart is connected to the tongue. In fact, James has quite a lot to say about our speech. He reminds us that we can use it to bless or to curse, to heal or to destroy. Though the tongue is small, it has the capacity to do big things.
Our language and tone of voice reflect the content of our hearts. If our hearts are in alignment with Christ’s love and purposes, our tongue communicates warmth, forgiveness, acceptance, and wisdom. If our hearts are not aligned with God’s purposes, we may claim to be following Christ, but we are deceiving ourselves. Our speech is an accurate measuring device that shows the true content of our hearts.
“Useless religion” is a powerful term. Religion promises to put us in touch with God, enable us to experience His love and change our lives. The inability to control our tongues shows that God has not actually touched our hearts, that transformation has not taken place, and the grand promises have not become true to us.
This sobering assessment may be painful, but it can be the beginning of a new day. The realization that our hearts are still hard can bring us to a point when we cry out for God to work deeply, powerfully, and specifically in our lives. A fearless and searching inventory of our tongues and our hearts may be heart wrenching, but not nearly as painful as finding out later that our religion has been useless.
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