After describing the danger of hasty, ugly words, James moved on to describe “the word planted deep inside you” (James 1:21) that we should follow. He called it “the law of freedom,” God’s wisdom, above all as Jesus taught it. He did not drop the subject of wise speech in these verses. He highlighted the wisdom and freedom of making all of our actions, including our speech, accord with God’s directions for optimal living.

• James’ words about the law of freedom were rooted in Jesus’ teaching. Jesus said, “I give you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, so you also must love each other. This is how everyone will know that you are my disciples, when you love each other” (John 13:34-35). In what ways have you found greater freedom as you’ve grown in your ability to love even those you dislike or disagree with?
• People often mistakenly think James contradicted the apostle Paul. We see their basic harmony as we compare James’ words with Paul’s words to the Galatians: “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against things like this” (Galatians 5:22-23). Picture how much better your days, and those of people you affect, would be if your speech more and more reflected the qualities Paul said the Spirit will grow in our lives.