Bitter or Sweet?

This semester I have been learning and growing (I hope) in things pertaining to the tongue (speech) and how I have been using it in my life. I believe that I am slowly becoming more sensitive to what comes out of my mouth and how it affects those around me and it's encouraging to me. Some of you may know that I have been going through the book of James this block at school with a phenomenal teacher, Rex, and something he said yesterday in class really hit me. I decided that I wanted to share it with you. : )

"With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way. Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water?"

--James 3:9-11

After we read the verse, Rex started talking about what James was really getting at with these verses. He used as an example the well of Bethlehem. It's ALWAYS the same, every single time you go get water out of it, it is going to taste the same. It's not going to taste great one day, rotten the next, still bad but not as bad the following day, etc. It is a well that can be trusted. As Rex talked about this, he inspired me to write this in my notes for verse 11 ("Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water?"): "Wouldn't it be nice if a person could come to me and always know that the words I would give to them would be refreshing and encouraging? Do I give out bitter and sweet water? Are they in doubt about what I will give to them? Can they come to me?" The underlying thought behind those questions is "Are people afraid that I will judge them, yell at them, put them down? Or do they trust me with their problems and trials, believing that I will have encouraging words to comfort them and help them, at the very least, pray for them? Or are they unsure about what will come out whenever I open up my mouth?"

Rex asked this question and I adapted it to my thoughts, I've been attempting to meditate on it since class.

"What kind of well am I? Bitter, Sweet, or unpredictable?"