And the tongue is a flame of fire.
Dare 2 Share - I read the other day about a Romanian teenager who torched his new car because he was angry after failing his driving test.
Adrian Mocsani, 17, had been given the Volkswagen Polo by his family as a birthday present. But he was so disappointed at failing his test that he poured gasoline on the car and set it alight in his front yard.
He told police officials, "When I came home I thought I saw the car laughing at me. So I put gas on it and lit it up. Who needs it anyway?"
So the first thought that I had anyway was that this fellow doesn’t seem like the sharpest knife in the drawer- would you agree? I for one would love to get a new ride for my birthday (are you reading this Mom and Dad?), and if I did, cremating my car would not be on my list of ‘things to do’.
But before we judge this pyromaniac pubescent too harshly, let us consider for a moment whether or not there are parallels between his life and ours. In order to do that, let’s read a fairly pointed passage written by the brother of Jesus:
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. (James 3:6)
James doesn’t mess around here. He is drawing a perfect analogy between the damage we do with our tongue and the destructive force of fire. Basically, he is warning us to keep a holy fire extinguisher very nearby, because at any moment hell itself might strike a match that wreaks serious harm on ourselves and others.
You know who really wasn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer? The person who wrote that ridiculous ‘sticks and stones’ thing. Words can and do hurt, and our tongues can light up our lives faster than you can say ‘stop-drop- and roll’!
God has given us beautiful gifts called relationships. Yet like our Romanian friend, we oftentimes fail and feel like were being laughed at. So what do we do? Torch them!
Not literally of course. But we burn down folks with little jabs of sarcasm, raised voices, gossip, insincere praise, and even silence.
“Oh but they deserved it! You should have heard what they said to me first”!
I’m not saying you don’t have a reason, but quite honestly- in God’s sight your excuse sounds as reasonable as the guy in the story.
So what is that holy fire extinguisher? Well, it starts with self-control. Here’s what Solomon said:
Even fools are thought to be wise when they keep silent; when they keep their mouths shut, they seem intelligent. (Proverbs 17:28)
It’s nothing more than the age old advice to think before you speak- especially when you are angry! It is always a good idea to consider how your words will affect people.
After self-control comes an examination of your motives. Ask yourself, why am I about to share this information? Is it helpful or hurtful? Is the person I’m talking to part of the problem or the solution? What if God held me accountable for what I’m about to say?
Questions like these can sure save you from having to call the Father’s Fire Department later.
So the next time you are about to turn into a flame thrower, think of our car burning compatriot, and when you do…ask yourself if there’s any possibility that you’re related.
Questions:
1) How well do you control your tongue?
2) Are there people in your life who need an apology?
3) What is one thing you can do to start cutting back on your burning streak?
