As a young fellow I cut my musical eye teeth on Country and Western music—especially western. The great folk-country singer Johnny Cash recorded a famous, western lament in 1957: “Don’t Take Your Guns to Town.” The famous “man in black” recorded a sad, haunting lament that made the tragic story come to life in the mind’s eye.

The old west scene was a distraught mother pleading with her over-confident and ill-advised son to leave his guns at home when he went to town. He didn’t listen—or didn’t heed (which is even worse).

When he got to town he went to the saloon and started drinking strong liquor, got into an argument with another cowboy who was quicker on the draw than he was. As the song goes, the tragic young man ended up dying on the barroom floor with his mama’s words on his lips… “don’t take your guns to town, son…”

And don’t take your mouth to Church son…

We have a saying that the song portrayed in principle: “don’t shoot off your mouth”.

The apostle James (in chapter three of his epistle) wrote about “the untamable tongue.” Likewise, as true Christians we must seek God’s help to tame our “tongues,” —that is tame what we say.

As faithful followers of Jesus Christ we must get serious about the vocal part of God’s way of life. “See how great a forest a little fire kindles! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity…” (James 3:5-6).

What did James “draw on” for such dramatic—and at times, sad imagery? He used the analogy of actual fire—some of which appears even in our modern phraseology.

“Walk prudently when you go to the house of God; and draw near to hear rather than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they do evil. Do not be rash with your mouth, and let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. For God is in heaven, and you are on earth; therefore let your words be few” (Ecclesiastes 5:1-2).

The heartbroken mother in the western song begged her son to leave his guns at home, to keep the flint and from igniting the powder. But her son wouldn’t listen.

And the moral of the story or the song is…

Always speak with kindness and outgoing concern for others—always. When we go to God’s true Church services on the Sabbath (that is by analogy to “God’s house”) let’s carefully and purposefully leave our sharp or unthoughtful words and that “untamable” part of our vocal apparatus at home.

Each Sabbath and annual holyday we have the opportunity to hear God’s Word preached… to hear how our brethren are thriving spiritually… to receive and share warm greetings and truly faith-filled conversation.

Savor the incredible calling of God that brought and brings us to His Sabbath services. Draw strength from good fellowship, and especially, humbly savor the sound preaching from God’s own word. Listen, learn and as another apostle was inspired to write “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ”!

Bring true, spiritually converted words to Sabbath services and throughout the week that follows!