Taming the Tongue

Once again, reports of terrible heat- and wind-driven fires in the Southwest have filled the news. The devastation is far-reaching.

Courtesy Google.com

Have you ever built a fire? What happens when you blow on the tiny spark? It quickly grows and ignites the kindling.

Imagine the hot breath of the Santa Ana winds catching a spark in that hot, arid landscape and fanning it into a raging inferno. That is the picture the Apostle James paints in words:

"And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is full of wickedness that can ruin your whole life. It can turn the entire course of your life into a blazing flame of destruction, for it is set on fire by hell itself. People can tame all kinds of animals....but no one can tame the tongue. It is an uncontrollable evil, full of deadly poison....Blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth....That is not right!" James 3:6-10, NLT).

James also compares the tongue to a horse's bridle and to the rudder of a ship. He writes that we can use a bridle to make a horse obey us, and with a small rudder, the pilot of a large ship can control its movements. But the tongue, even though it is a tiny member of the body, is uncontrollable, like the tiny spark that can cause a raging forest fire.

What, then, can we do to resolve such a fearsome dilemma?

We must allow the Holy Spirit to take control of our tongue. Only He can tame it and bring it under control. Only then can we fulfill the advice of the wise one who penned the Proverbs:

Courtesy Google

Like water that quenches fire, when the Holy Spirit controls our tongue, we can answer with a gentle response that puts out the anger that can so easily erupt into temper,

While growing up, my godly grandmother suffered harsh treatment at the hands of her father. When she left home to become a missionary, he disowned and disinherited her. For many years, she was not allowed to visit her family home. Yet, she never talked about any of the details. When I was writing the story of her life in my book, Frontiers of Faith, I asked her why. She said,

"What you talk about gets into your spirit." 

She had learned to allow the Holy Spirit to control her tongue.

I love this quote I found on the Internet:

"Be sure to taste your words before you spit them out." 

Sounds like good advice.

Who controls your tongue?

Lessons We Learned from Our Dog

Our son had been begging for a dog. We promised we'd get him one after we moved into a parsonage. Friends told us of a litter of cockapoo puppies that were ready to be adopted. We promptly fell in love with a six-week-old  puppy we named Taffy because she was the color of pulled molasses taffy.

Taffy quickly fit into our household. As she grew into adulthood, she turned a beautiful white shaded with apricot. For 16 years, she filled our home with love and joy. She knew how to love sincerely and showed it enthusiastically.

One writer put it this way: Thirteen Things I Learned from My Dog.

(1) When my loved ones come home, always run to greet them, no matter how late they are.
(2) Enjoy the outside.
(3) Let others know when they've invaded your territory.
(4) Take naps and stretch before rising.
(5) Run, romp, and have fun daily.
(6) On hot days sit, drink lots of water, and lie under shade trees.
(7) When you are happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
(8) When disciplined, bounce back and make friends again.
(9) Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
(10) Eat with gusto; stop when you've had enough.
(11) Be loyal.
(12) Never pretend to be something you're not.
(13) If what you want lies buried, dig until you get it.

Often, Taffy reminded us of the Holy Spirit, who is gentle and can be easily grieved by our unloving actions. Whenever we raised our voices, she would creep under the couch, reminding us that arguing also grieved the Holy Spirit.

What simple wisdom our dogs exhibit! If we would act more like our lovable dogs and less like prickly porcupines at home and work, how much happier our lives would be. And our loved ones would feel more secure in our love.

"The whole point of what we're urging," says The Message Bible, "is simply love--love uncontaminated by self-interest and counterfeit faith, a life open to God."
Our dog taught us that instead of thinking about ourselves, we need to think about God and ministering to the needs of others, to love without self-interest.