As we learned in the previous devotional that our fire is a great thing when used to glorify God.  Now, what about an unwanted fire? Such as a bonfire that's gone out of hand, for example. What we say can burn just as much as a sticking your hand into a fire, and what we say could be the words the make us smile like the fire that warms a cabin in the winter. James 3:6-10 describes this perfectly as it tells us in verse 6 that the tongue can corrupt a whole body and life. Just like jumping into a fire can leave you with serious burns and can alter the way you live your life. In verse 7 we see that the tongue can tame the wild with commands and rules, just like a tree on fire will quickly evacuate the birds leaving within. In verse 8 we see that the tongue is like a dragon, and to keep it from breathing fire we must tread carefully. In verses 9-10 we see the tongue can be like the small campfire that cooks your marshmallows and hot dogs, or it can be a roaring fire that destroys all things in its path. It is up to us whether we use our tongue to spread joy or to spread wrath. As long as we watch our tongue's fire closely, we will have a controlled campfire instead of a forest fire. 

James 3:6-10 (NIV)

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. 7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With the tongue, we praise our Lord and Father, and with it, we curse human beings, who have been made in God's likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.