“And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity [“sin”; “act of unrighteousness”]: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell” (James 3:6).
When Smokey the Bear talks to children about fire safety, he always tells them, “Only YOU can prevent wildfires.” He lets them know how to prevent wildfires too: they should avoid playing with matches or leaving fires unattended.
The Bible mentions another kind of fire safety. James 3:6 warns that our tongues can commit iniquity (“sin”). James even compares the tongue to a fire because, like a fire, sin destroys. The Bible tells us to avoid sins with our tongues, such as calling people names or telling lies, because name-calling and telling lies hurt us and others.
Do these warnings mean that fire and tongues are always bad? No! Smokey the Bear points out that fire can be good. Fire helps clear out brush and trees for plants that need sun to survive. Sometimes fire teams will start fires on purpose if an area has plants that need more sunlight.
Tongue fires can be used for good too. When God created humans, He made our tongues to glorify Him. The Bible tells us about some “fire teams” who used their tongues for good. Paul’s tongue told people that Christ came to save them from their sins. Esther used her tongue to ask the king to spare God’s people. You can create good tongue fires too, just like Paul and Esther. You can speak words that are kind, that show love, and that share Jesus with others.
Since the tongue is the most powerful part of your body, it can be the most dangerous or the most righteous (“good”). Your tongue can help others and bring glory to God. What you say can help clear away “brush” so people can see the Light, the true Son of God.
While our tongues can destroy through sin, they can also glorify God through righteous speech.
My response:
» Have you ever used your tongue to set a wildfire going?
» How can you use your tongue to spread goodness instead of evil?