Bad Religion

  I once knew a fellow that you would describe as religious. He had strong beliefs. He spoke out against liquor, lewdness, and the like. He gave out of his pocket for good works. He made it to services on a regular basis.  He never stole from his neighbor, never cheated on his wife, and never lied to his boss. All and very religious.

  Expect.

  If you upset him, he’d yell at you. If you disagreed with him, he’d curses you. If you irked him, he’d badmouth you. If you did something he didn’t agree with, he’d speak against you. If you made a mistake, he’d tell everyone about it. If you weren’t on his side, he’d mock you.

 So, what kind of religion did he have? According to James a worthless one.

If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is worthless. 

James 1:26 

  

You can be right on in doctrine and practices but if you don’t consider your words and keep them in check, it’s all in vain. The tongue is too dangerous to let it flow freely. We may think ourselves religious, we may seem to be so to others, but words must match our actions. Normally we think of the hypocrisy of not practicing what we preach but it also can work in reverse. If we are religious but never bother considering our words, it is just as empty.

 You may think you know that fellow I mentioned. I’m sure you do. We’ve all seen him, not the same him but the character nonetheless. In fact, we may see him in the mirror. Our words matter (Matt. 12:37). Let's make sure that our religion isn’t made meaningless by them.