Worthless Religion

James 1:26-27 ⁽²⁶⁾Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. ⁽²⁷⁾Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. (NIV)

            Mr. Stone was an older man who lived in a quiet community of approximately 6,000 residents. Most of the people knew him because he worked at the local grocery store as a cashier and always had a pleasant greeting for the customers with a smile. He was married to a wonderful woman named Ella for forty years with three adult children and five grandchildren. Mr. Stone and his wife used to attend the small community church, located on the outskirts of town, since the time they had moved to the area with their small children over thirty years ago. However, Ella’s health started to decline, and she eventually passed away, leaving behind her beloved husband and family.

            When Ella was alive, Mr. Stone would stop by the park every day when he got off from work, take a stroll, and pick up a flower from the outside florist to take home to his lovely wife. However, due to the departure of his beloved Ella, Mr. Stone’s regular routine slightly changed. When he got off from work, he still took his daily stroll in the park, bought a flower, but made a detour instead of walking home. This raised the eyebrows of some of the people who knew him in the community and at church.

            Rumors began to spread around the town that Mr. Stone must have had a mistress, while Ella was alive and now, he was buying flowers for her. One day, after hearing the gossip that was going around the town, the new young pastor of the church decided to pay Mr. Stone a visit. He wasn’t one to take things at face value, so he wanted to know if there was any truth to all the gossip.

            The pastor drove his car towards Mr. Stone’s house, but got sidetracked when he happened to see Mr. Stone walking in the opposite direction of his house, after having left the park, with a flower in his hand. The pastor rolled down his window and asked Mr. Stone if he would like a ride. Mr. Stone accepted and opened the door and sat inside the vehicle. Once buckled in, the pastor asked Mr. Stone where he was headed. The pastor was praying in his mind with hopes that he was not about to be put in an awkward position just in case the rumors were true. 

            Mr. Smith asked the pastor to drive down for two blocks and then make a left. The pastor, being new to the town, did not know where he was going, but followed the directions that Mr. Smith had given. Once the pastor made the turn, he noticed that he was turning into an old cemetery. No one would have really noticed it because the grass was untidy, weeds stood tall, and there weren’t any nice tombstones. The pastor pulled under an old tree and stopped the car. Mr. Stone thanked the pastor for the lift and got out of the vehicle.

            The pastor, not knowing what to say next, remained parked for a while, but then got out of the car and followed Mr. Stone as he went to a spot that was freshly covered with dirt. The pastor was unaware if there had been any funeral arrangements made at the church because he had come to town after Ella had passed. At the very head of the freshly covered grave was a wooden, hand-carved headstone which read, “This is my beloved wife. No one rang the phone when you were alive, but maybe the mouths will speak now that you are gone.” The pastor’s eyes swelled with tears as he watched Mr. Stone place the new flower on the grave alongside all the flowers that were lying there withered by the hot sun. 

            The Apostle James lets us know that as a Christian, it is important to learn to bridle the tongue. Gossip can cause harm and unnecessary pain to those it affects. It is not something that cannot be easily recovered from once the damage is done. God actually list it as one of the things that He absolutely hates. Proverbs 6:16-19 ⁽¹⁶⁾There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: ⁽¹⁷⁾haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, ⁽¹⁸⁾a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, ⁽¹⁹⁾a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community. (NIV) It is easy to spread falsehood about someone, but the command to honor God in all things should be first and foremost. How do you do this? Here are a few questions to ask when gossip is brought to you.

The Book of James: 30 Days of Devotion for Men by K L Rich is available on Amazon.com.