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. (NIV)

One thing we enjoy in our home is a wood burning stove which sits in the living room. With the cold weather we have here in Alaska, it helps to take the chill out of the air. One thing that must be noticed is that the stove contains the fire so that it can give the warmth we need. One could not just start a fire in their living room and hope that the warmth they need would be given. What most likely would happen is that it would get very warm for a little bit but the fire would consume the whole house. This is not an effective way for us to keep warm. So one must have a place to keep the fire contained, whether that is a stove or a fireplace.

James chapter 3 talks about taming the tongue. Today's scripture compares the tongue to a fire. If a fire is not contained it will consume all around it. When our tongue is not under control it can cause great damage. We can hurt a relationship with just a few words spoken in anger. I must admit that this is a part of my life which I have had to work on. It is much easier to speak before thinking. I have learned through my faith that one must hold their tongue and not to lash out in anger. When we hold our tongue, we contain the fire which could spread quickly from its use.

Prayer: Lord, I pray that you help us to hold our tongues, and that we may think before lashing out in anger. We pray that the words which come from our mouths are only words which glorify you. In Jesus' name. Amen.

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