by Pastor Douglas Brauner

The Power of the Tongue

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

There is something wonderful about standing in the midst of numerous hot air balloons spread on the ground, fans blowing the cool morning air into their fabric, and watching them come to life as the furnace blast of air lifts them heavenward.

There’s power in the fire.

There’s power in the tongue, but most of the time the Bible describes this power in a negative light. Listen to how Jesus’ half brother, James, describes the tongue (warning: this isn’t good news!).

“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 The New International Version

It sounds like James had experienced the destructive power of the tongue. It feels like he knew what it was like for someone to lie about him. He probably knew how the tongue was used to murder the reputation of others.

Does that sound familiar to you, too? Probably. We have been on both sides of this truth. We have both been those who have been hurt by the tongue’s fire and those who have done the hurting. We have set the fire ablaze and felt it’s scorching heat.

We thank God for the gift of Jesus, who doused the fire with his tongue of peace.

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”
John 14:27 English Standard Version

The peace we receive from Jesus are the words of his tongue, words spoken in deep pain, “Father, forgive them.” The tongue of Jesus is also a fire, it is a purifying fire that cleanses us from our poor, and sometimes violent, use of our tongue.

May this gift of forgiveness motivate us to see our own tongues as instruments of peace that lift others heavenward.

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado