An Uncontrolled Tongue Leads to Disaster pt 2

James continues his message about the tongue. James ratchets up the image of the tongue from verse 5 where the tongue is not a spark but the fire itself. He drops the simile in verses 3 and 4 and goes straight to metaphor in verse 6. The tongue now becomes a fire that will direct your path in life. This path, if chosen incorrectly can lead to a life of misery, pain and sorrow. James reminds us in verse 7 that God has given man the authority over living creatures. In James experience, man is capable of taming many different animals. For example the circus trains wild animals to do tricks and react positively to commands given by the trainer. The conclusion is that man is at the top of the hierarchy in the kingdom of God as reflected in (Genesis 1:26). While in verse 8 James tells us that no human being can tame the tongue, because it is a restless evil that holds a deadly poison.