The Bit in My Mouth
Now that the weather has began to change, my family and I have spent a lot more time outside. Just a short walk from my house, we have an equestrian center in the heart of Vinings. We really enjoy walking around and looking at the dozens and dozens of horses basking in the sun in all their beauty. There is something so incredibly great about such a powerful animal being so docile.
This verse in James 3:3 immediately brought to mind the illustration of a tamed horse. A well-trained horse, I believe, is harder to come by than just placing a bit in its mouth. There’s a lot of work that goes into “breaking” a horse of its wild habits, of its sheer out of control strength. While there is something beautiful about a wild stallion running though the fields of the Rocky Mountains, the horse is pretty much useless. And on top of that, nobody wants to be close to the horse – nor can even get close to that horse. They are untamed and unsafe.
When pondering these verses, I began to question what is the “bit” I put into my mouth? What is it that I put into my mouth that leads me down that “path of righteousness”? A bit, being something that is placed in my mouth (or heart) that helps me stay on the path set before me, is necessary for me to be a tamed, trusted, and enjoyable beast to be around. Without a bit, I am just as dangerous to be around as the wild horse (though I may not kick you in the face with my hoof, I might tear you down with my words).
So, if I now admit that I must have a bit in my mouth in order to control my natural disorder, what is that bit I’m placing in it? Who is training me? Here’s a couple that have come to mind:
- His Word – I know that might be an easy answer, but I believe it to be foundational to training my self. The more I speak and ingest His Word, the more likely I am to have a tamed tongue. The closer his Words are on my lips, the more likely I am to speak them first. This is foundational to keeping me on the path of righteousness (see also James 3:9-12)
- Prayer – The more time I spend praying for my enemies and my friends, the easier it is to love them, the easier it is for God to speak through me, the easier it is for me to trust what God is saying and doing in all circumstances
- The people I surround myself with. Now, this one is a little harder for me to fully write about in this forum, but I know I am called to be a light in darkness all the while not being drug down myself. We are called to be witnesses to those who do not know Christ, but we are also called to be dedicated to his truth and commands. But I must surround myself with people who edify me, who lift me up, who challenge me in truth and love. I must be around other tamed people. I must be around other people who have the same bit in their mouth (heart). If I don’t, I can easily fall into the temptation of using my words to tear people down through gossip, criticism, degrading words, useless trash, rather than keeping His word on the forefront of my tongue.
- Worship – having a tongue and heart of Worship keeps you on the well-trained path of righteousness.
The Bible says that, “From the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks”. Like I said earlier, more goes into training a horse than just putting a bit into its mouth. Just because the bit is there does not mean that the horse likes it, nor respects it, or even knows why it is being lead by the trainer. What you get when you have people who have bits in their mouths without having been properly “trained”, or not having a relationship with the trainer, is a hypocrite and a pharisee. You can speak the words, but you still do not speak them in love (nor speak them all the time). A well-trained horse is both someone who does what is expected of them by their trainer, as well as knows why they are expected to do so, and I might be going out on a limb here – even wants to do as his trainer has taught him (this, I believe, is a fully devoted follower of Jesus).
Again I ask, “What bit are you placing in your mouth?”
Well said, Joe. I love that there is so much truth in this entire message!