James 3:6

“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.”

So…back to that 54-page book you are going to write today with the words that come out of your mouth. Today’s passage brings us face-to-face with just how dangerous that thing in your mouth really is. Here is a list of ways the Bible describes the overwhelmingly evil potential of the tongue:

Wicked, deceitful, lying, perverse, filthy, corrupt, bitter, angry, crafty, flattering, slanderous, gossiping, back-biting, blaspheming, foolish, boasting, murmuring, complaining, cursing, contentious, sensual, vile, tale-bearing, whispering, exaggerating, and the list goes on.

Do any of us really have a CLUE as to how destructive our words can be? How many times have you been the recipient of its wrath? How many times have you been the one wielding its power to crush or discourage or outright destroy? I tell my kids on an almost daily basis that sometimes the most Christ-like thing we can do is SHUT UP! We are quick to tell each other what’s on our minds, but slow to check ourselves at the door before we let our words out.

The tongue is a fire…a world of evil…a corrupting influence that can set your entire life on fire and become a tool of the devil himself. We all need to be reminded of that.