Yesterday I was interviewed by a radio station in Las Cruces New Mexico. I was on for a full hour and after each advertising break and before returning to my interview, the host would give a little tidbit of news. I was interested in hearing him describe a forest fire that was raging out of control that had expanded wildly to become New Mexico’s largest fire ever. It was initially expected to be contained within 26,000 acres, but has grown to encompass roughly 190,000 acres and is spreading in all directions.
Isn’t it amazing that a huge fire that has grown to approximately 300 square miles can start out so small. I am reminded of James 3:5: So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire!
Presidents understand this concept. George Bush Sr. lost his re-election bid largely because of his famous remark: “Read my lips, no new taxes”, which he promptly went back on. And his successor Bill Clinton followed his lead by saying at his Monica Lewinsky derived impeachment hearing: “It depends on what the definition of ‘is’ is” as he tried to defend the indefensible. Now Obama has made a statement that “The private sector of our economy is doing just fine”; go tell that whopper to the 30 million unemployed, underemployed, and those who have stopped looking for work in the private sector, and even his hard core fanatical supporters are scratching their heads and wondering if that size 11 foot can ever be extracted from that big mouth.
The press that incessantly pursues the rich, the famous and the powerful are close at hand 24/7 to record every utterance and idle word, and immediately beam the best and worst of them around the world. Those of us who are not in that hot spotlight need not gloat; our misspoken words are being recorded too; by God Himself!
Matthew 12:36 “But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”
Uh oh…
Remember James 3:6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
Yikes!
Okay, okay simmer down – I’ll just tame my tongue…
James 3:8 “…but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison.”
Good grief! It appears that all may be lost…
Naw… I think the key words here are: “No man”. Like so many things in life we are powerless on our own to overcome the evil that surrounds us. We need spiritual help from Jesus Christ. We are told to put on the “full armor” of God to battle hell and all its forces of evil. We are told to resist but nowhere are we told that we can defeat satan or his fallen angels. That is Jesus Christ’s job and He is entirely capable and up to the task, but we must draw close to Him and suit up in His armor every day of our lives in order to be successful.
We should first cover ourselves with the blood of Christ and take advantage of the salvation that is freely given to any who wants it, we should pray, study God’s word, reinforce ourselves with fellowship with other believers, shore up our faith, and make a concerted effort to live righteously in order to battle the powerful satanic forces that surround us. Nowhere is it more necessary than in attempting to control our own vile tongues.
Life can be beautiful, but we need Jesus Christ and His cloak of meekness to overcome the arrogance and pride of this life. Try using God’s wisdom and not your own today, you will be glad…
James 3:13
Who of you is wise and instructed? Let him show his works in a beautiful way of life in the wisdom of meekness.