The Tongue is a Fire
Posted on 11th January 2025 by Joshua Eden No comments

Wildfires have destroyed homes and taken the lives of at least two individuals this past week in Los Angeles California. Out of the four different outbreaks, the biggest of these fires in the Pacific Palisades neighbourhood, burned more than 5,000 acres. That amounts to an area of around 2,500 football pitches. (skynews.com)
The cause of wildfires can be a small spark from a trailing car, a cigarette butt, fallen power lines or lightning. It is interesting that all the potential causes of a wildfire are things which happen all the time and do not draw any significant attention until it directly affects us. Little sparks of fire have the potential to cause great damage given the right conditions. James, the half-brother of our Lord Jesus Christ, recognises this and finds it to be a fitting comparison for the tongue James 3:5-12.
Though the tongue is small, it has the potential to cause great damage. James describes the tongue as a fire, a world of unrighteousness – meaning a world of trouble! It has been said that the tongue is so dangerous, it has been placed in a deep, dark, damp cave behind bars we call teeth. Despite this, James points out that the tongue, like a wildfire, cannot be tamed and thus stressing the point that: what we say matters.
Sticks and stones may break your bones, but corrupt words will send you to hell! All liars will have their place in the lake of fire Revelation 21:8, and we will be judged for every idle word Matthew 12:36. We cannot take back our words. Once the words are said, that is it. There is no way to put the toothpaste back in the tube. Our words go out into the atmosphere as sound waves. Scientists have hypothesised that theoretically, in the future, you could make a satellite powerful enough that it could pick up sound waves from the past and listen to old conversations that have gone out into the atmosphere and into space. A terrifying thought!
The issue of the tongue is the issue of the heart. The things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart Matthew 15:18. Therefore the ultimate solution to the problem is to have a new heart which comes hand-in-hand with the gracious gift of salvation in Christ Ezekiel 36:26. When Christ dwells in the heart of a believer, He does what no human being can do, He tames our tongue because He has our heart. The more we yield our lives and hearts to Christ, the more our tongue becomes subject to the will of its maker.