Fire!

Park Rapids Fire, May 16th 2013

““The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” (Pr 18:21)

We saw it at we drove south of town.  Off in the distance black smoke was rising.  Strong winds fueled the blaze that consumed 7100 acres; destroying  far more than the 64 buildings that were in it’s wake.  What started it?

A spark.  That’s all it took.  Our tongue, if not controlled, does damage just like that fire. (Ja 3:5)

I held the phone. The anger and veracity were like strong winds that fueled damaging words.  The words burned. Blame, names, and bitterness erupted and spread… like a fire. Rage. Her tongue raged with anger.  As I hung up the phone I felt scorched and my worth left in ashes.  I wept.

How many of us have been burnt by someone’s tongue? Sarcasm, lies, anger, crude jokes and gossip. How many of us have spread it?

I wonder if James was  remembering his past as he penned, “Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.”  Perhaps he remembered one of the many times before the Christ’s resurrection that he and his brothers words made it clear they didn’t  believe that their ½  brother, Jesus, was Messiah. Their words of skepticism can be read as loaded, unkind and dripping with sarcasm as they spat “You can't become famous if you hide like this! If you can do such wonderful things, show yourself to the world!" Jn 7:4-5 NLT

It’s almost as if James is saying “I get it. It’s hard… But look at the damage that can be done by a tongue out of control!” (Ja 3:2) He even admits no one can tame the tongue… so what do we do?

More than once, in an effort to tame the tongue of one of my children the soap would come out. After one of their recent episodes with Irish Spring…  they caught me. They called me on it… it was no excuse that I was their mother- I too should wash out my mouth.  So  with their faces beamin… I bit down on the soap. Yuck.

Here’s the problem-  washing out my mouth will never bridle my tongue. Oh, it may filter what I say a bit more but  as James says “..this should not be!” (v.10).   Jesus said that the tongue is simply the mouthpiece of what is in my heart.  The things I say and how I say them will reveal either the love of God or my own selfish motive.

So what do I do?  Like Isaiah we admit the truth “… I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips.” We seek God who promises a new heart; His own heart. (Ez 36:26-27)  During it all- we bridle our tongue.   

God, look into my heart. Show me what is really in there. There’s stuff I don’t want to deal with… because it hurts; I’m afraid, or I’m ashamed.  It comes out in how I talk.  Please cleanse my heart filling it with your love. Make it new. Thank you for a new heart. Now teach me to show that love through the words I speak and the tone of my voice.

“Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children.  Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.

Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Eph 5:1-4