What about your tongue?

We are so thankful for the opportunities we are given to work with young people and the members of the church in Maastricht. For the last two years we have organized a youth day, putting together a team from Maastricht and inviting kids from across Belgium and the Netherlands. We organize the day in the middle of Belgium so that it is more accessible for people than going all the way down to camp (which would be easy for us). 

This past weekend we organized the day around the theme of the tongue and what we learn in James 1 and 3. We had a smaller group (Vacation Bible Camp had just taken place e the previous week and this weekend was King’s Day in the Netherlands), but it was a great day. The sun came out to play and we enjoyed working together to learn about how to use our words in a good way and not be used in a bad way. 

James 1:19 has always been a verse to challenge me: Be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger. In my younger years I was always quick to anger and slow to listen. But thankfully God has changed my heart and ways bit by bit as I have grown in grace as well. This is something we want all of our young people to know and experience - growth in grace. 

Thankfully we have a great team. Shirley organizes the food with Tonia. Tonia’s husband Mario takes care of the 2nd lesson for the older kids. I usually take the first lesson and welcome, which takes place outside. And Paul and Deysi come up with great visual activities for the second lesson for the young kids and a craft activity for everyone. 

Everyone works well together and the kids have enjoyed the days we have organized. Now we hope and pray they also remember the lessons we have tried to pass on. Hearing good things doesn’t help if we are not doers (James 1:22). We learned about how just as fierce and terrible things can be done with small words, so too amazingly beautiful things can be done with simple small words. How are you using your words today? 

(The picture is of how anger can boil over. Empty it out and fill it with clean water - the living water of Jesus.)