Fighting Fire with Fire

 "I can NOT believe I just said that!"

The phrase above is one of those things I find myself screaming at...myself...on ... an unfortunately, very regular basis.  Those words or a version of them (by now it is mostly an inaudible grunt and a major eye-roll) usually plague my mind at least once a day on average.  Though, to tell you the truth, that's an improvement.  In my younger days, I didn't even have what it took to realize that what I had said aloud was uncalled for.  

Sigh...

The past couple of days, since Sunday School, really, I've kept running into chapter 3: 1-12 of the Book of James...and it doesn't matter how many times I read it...this portion of Scripture continues to greatly challenge me to my very core.

There are all kinds of analogies in this chapter that equal the tongue to many different things: a small rudder, the bit into the mouth of a horse, deadly poison...the one that makes me shudder, though is the comparison to fire.  

The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. James 3: 6

Yep...this is one sobering metaphor.  The context in which the word fire is used here is not positive and uplifting.  And the heat is turned up with each mention of it. First, it describes what the tongue is...a fire...and in case we might have misunderstood such a comparison with something good, James quickly sets the record straight explaining further that nope...fire is bad.  It is meant to represent a "world of evil." Then, fire tells us what the tongue does: it corrupts the whole body. It destroys.  It is not the redemptive fire of God, for "Our God is a consuming fire" (Hebrews 12: 29).  Not here.  James makes sure we don't mistaken the meaning of fire on this passage.  Any illusion of a road toward redemption is destroyed by the evil fire of corruption that the tongue can ignite.  And we know this because James also tells us who is responsible for lighting the fire of the tongue: hell itself.

The fire that we spread with our unruly tongue comes from the fire of hell.

The hairs on the back of my neck stand up in fear as I contemplate this passage.  I can't be so casual about my inability to control my tongue.  But, who can control such a disruptive and rebellious component of who we are? Who is the one who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check? (James 3: 2).  Who can achieve this level, when it is clear that "we all stumble in many ways."?  

Of course, the Only Perfect One: Jesus Our Lord.

Only by the Power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in me I will be able to strive towards a semblance of control of that little tool, and turn it into an instrument of good rather than evil.  When left to function by my own strength and devices, I will fail over and over again.  Until I surrender this little wild part of my body to the consuming and cleansing and purifying fire of God and allow the fiery tongues of the Holy Spirit to transform my evil tongue for His purpose, will and kingdom...I will be spreading the fire of hell rather than the fire of Heaven on this earth. 

The Word of the Lord is fire, says Jeremiah 23: 29 and His Fire consumes all others.  Jesus brings in His fire to the world...may it be kindled soon! (Luke 12: 49) Until then, may it be as it is done in the wild-fire zones, where fire is often used to fight and extinguish fires, so the controlled burn of the fire of the Holy Spirit would create a barrier to the oncoming forest fire of our tongues and use up all the fuel until the only remaining spark is His Own.  In the Precious Name of Jesus, The Only One Who Can Cast God's Holy Fire.  Amen!