The Little Fire Starter

James 3:5-12 Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh.

It is usually the little things in life that send our days into a tailspin. It is the overlooking of the "little" things, or details, that usually get us in trouble. So it is with one of the smallest members of the body...the tongue. This small member has the ability to cause great destruction. James tells us that it can ignite a blaze with a tiny spark. There have been cities leveled with fires that began with a spark. Many have witnessed the destruction that has resulted from fires, in places like California. As a retired law enforcement officer, I have had the opportunity to witness the destruction and loss of life involved in a number of house fires. The bottom line is that James is warning us that the tongue is a small member of the body that we should not overlook. It is the one member that desperately needs to be under the restraining control of the Holy Spirit. In the flesh, we have no control over it. Amazingly, man has the ability to tame wild animals, but this little beast, the tongue, no man can tame. The untamed tongue is wicked and poisonous. It gossips, speaks words that cause pain, and divides the most intimate relationships. The tongue can destroy friendships, marriages, and can set a life on the path of loneliness and destruction. The tongue will reveal what is truly in our heart. That which defiles us from the inside will be spewed out in the words we speak. For this reason, it is imperative that we, as followers of Jesus, give control of our tongues over to God. A Christian should be a person who is careful with their words. James reminds us that we should not be known as people who praise God one moment, but then curse men the next, with the same tongue. It is no great wonder that the unsaved often see us as hypocrites, when our words contradict our claims that we love Jesus. Before we open our mouths, especially during times when we are feeling very emotional, let us stop and consider that the tongue is a little fire starter that can ignite a blaze that can destroy our life and cause great injury to those who are on the receiving end of our poisonous words. Let us instead do all we can to give control over to the Lord so that our words encourage, edify, bless the hearer, and glorify God.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).