I Love Lamp

James chapter 1 says this:
19 This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger ; 20 for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.



The words have been posted on Facebook and comprised a hash tag on Twitter today - "I Love Lamp"...when I first saw it, I thought it was maybe a reference to a Montgomery high school my daughter attends - but then realized the people posting weren't connected to the school.   It's actually a reference to a line uttered by Steve Carell in the movie, "Anchorman" with Will Farrell - a line that was inserted into a script on a teleprompter and read out loud by a Green Bay weatherman - the video, yes, has gone viral - and the weatherman is actually making light of it on his blog, much as Rick Perry made light of the embarrassing gaffe where he attempted to name 3 departments of the Federal government he'd like to see eliminated.


I was thinking about how we are prompted to speak, and to speak incorrectly or inappropriately, to speak words that are harmful, that perhaps can make a permanent impression.   I think that we allow ourselves to be baited by the devil, or the power of sin, and we become prompted to say the wrong things.   Our mouths are connected to our minds, and if we don't exercise the proper self-control and don't think before we speak, then we can say things for which we'll be sorry and that can do damage.


I do think that we are set up by the power of sin and the enemy of our souls, who seeks to steal, kill, and destroy - James 1 tells us to be slow to speak, but factors such as time, tension, and tiredness can keep us from reading the prompts in our minds before the say the words.   Time -when we're rushed we can sometimes respond in a short or uncivil manner.  Tension - when an atmosphere exists where it's ripe for conflict, harsh words can be said.  Tiredness - sometimes we just need to rest, realize we're not functioning at our best, and reset our lives.    So, when these factors exist and we don't examine the prompts in our minds, i.e., think things through before we say them, we can make verbal errors.   Self-control comes as we neutralize these factors, rely on the Holy Spirit, and meditate on God's Word.