The two fires

      James 3:8-12  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.

     Do you struggle with your tongue?  Have you ever noticed yourself saying something and then shortly after wondering why you ever opened your mouth?   Have you used your tongue to bless God and also to curse man?  My brethren, these things ought not to be so.  I have been working on this lately, trying to rid my tongue of corrupt speech and only speaking what is good for necessary edification.  Ephesians 4:29 

     Here are a few verses that have helped me when dealing with my unruly tongue.  Psalms 141:3 “Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips.”  Proverbs 13:3 “He who guards his mouth preserves his life, But he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction.”  Proverbs 21:23  “Whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles.”  We must remember that in the multitude of words, sin is not lacking.

     There are two fires that our tongue can be set on fire by: hell and the Holy Spirit.  In James 3:6 we see that our tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity.  The end of that verse states that the tongue is set on fire by hell.  On the other hand, we see in Acts 2:3-4 that our tongue can also be set on fire by the Holy Spirit.  “Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them.  And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

     A tongue set on fire by hell will result in division; one set on fire by the Holy Spirit will create unity.  Just as the story of the Tower of Babel, where their languages were confused, causing division; so, on the Day of Pentecost, where the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit, unity was found.  People from many nations were able to hear the gospel preached in their own language.  How do you use your tongue?  Do you sharpen your tongue like a sword, using bitter words to harm others?  Psalms 64:3  Or do you use your tongue like a wise person, which promotes health?  Proverbs 12:18

     May the Lord work in us to make one of our most powerful instruments only edify and not destroy.