The tongue is a fire

 ‘The tongue is a fire’

A fire can be used for many things. It can be used to provide warmth, to cook by, provide light and for guidance. It can also be used to devour and destroy. The same is true for the tongue;

James 3:6–10: the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.

Here James tells us of the evil that we each have to live with and learn to bring into order. It resides within each of our bodies and has the propensity to produce much harm. The tongue is powerful. It can build up or tear down. You can probably recall times in your life when you have been built up or torn down by the words of others. How have you felt when people have let their tongues be ‘set on fire’? It can be painful, infuriating and untrue, but also uplifting, encouraging and overwhelming. 

If, considering this, you are feeling hurt again as you recall something that has been said to you, then now is a good time to turn around and forgive. Re-read the verses above again. The tongue is a; ‘restless evil’, ‘world of unrighteousness’ and ‘full of deadly poison’. Each human being has to live with that inside of them, so if you have been hurt by someone because of the words they have/haven’t used, appreciate that it is a wrestling match for every human being trying to 'tame the tongue'. It doesn't mean that it is excusable or acceptable what people have said, but you do get to choose whether you are going to live under the harmful words others have spoken over you. In order to be free from the power of those words, you need to forgive. If the tongue is a source of evil as James writes, then do not let yourself be bound to it. By talking to God about it and seeking to forgive whoever you need to can free you from the power of those words. 

The tongue is a real power, the words we use have influence. Just as you have considered how words have impacted your life, now think about how your words impact others. Words are powerful, therefore you should be mindful how you use them. 

Do you harness the power of your tongue? The tongue is powerful as James reminds us it has great potential for evil, yet it also has great potential for good. Elsewhere in the Bible we are told that words can build up or bind up. Therefore you have a choice to make in how you use them - what is your intended purpose in how you are communicating with others? I know sometimes I know what i am aiming to communicate and when i speak i can see from others facial expression that i have completely mis-communicated. Has that ever happened to you? If it goes well i apologise and let them know that what they have heard is not what i intended to communicate and i seek to try again and i have to really consider the words i am using to get across the information i need to. Those moments remind me that what i think i am saying is not what everyone hears. I think this is why James is emphasising the negative side of communication - to remind us that in our natural state we are not the best at communicating. Therefore we need to be mindful that something as simple as talking can have powerful influence in someone's life.

James wants you to recognise that if you want to follow God and put Jesus at the centre of your life, your WHOLE self needs to die and be reborn again as it is all evil and therefore all needs transformation. If you want to follow God then your actions, lifestyle, and your physical body need to be renewed. This includes your speech as tongues are proponents of sin. Violent speech, coarse language, angry passion, rudeness, disappointment, hatred and cursing are all communicated via the tongue. They should not be coming from someone who believes in Jesus and claims to be living a life following God though. That is what you can expect from those that have not yet received the love, grace, mercy and forgiveness of God. If you know that you speak in these ways, then you need to know that God wants your nature and your body to come into alignment with honouring Jesus. If you count Jesus as your saviour, then he is the saviour of your body as well as your soul, and he cares about how you communicate, therefore your words also need to be redeemed.

If you find you run away with words that are ‘set on fire by hell’, then you need to put in the hard work of taming the tongue or be quiet. James has already told us at the beginning of his letter to listen more than we speak - no wonder if the tongue is such a torment and a trial to tame! 

There is good news though - words can also build up. As the tongue is a fire, it can also be used for good. Are you up for harnessing the power of your tongue to bring encouragement, hope, rest, truth, justice, kindness, hope and love? Just as the tongue can be used for evil, it can also be used to honour others and honour God. It just takes some work on your behalf to do that, are you prepared to allow God to tame your tongue by asking the Holy Spirit to transform your words into those that bring life to others?

‘The tongue is a fire’

What are you going to set alight today? 

Are you going to intentionally bring harm or good from the powerful instrument that God has given you?