The strongest muscle in the body

... The Tongue ...

"When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 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.

All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water." - James 3:3-12

Oh how hard it is to tame the tongue!!!!!!!

It's far easier to tame a shrew than it is to tame the tongue!!!

I have umpteen countless ulcers in my mouth from biting my tongue these last few weeks... especially at work...

It's amazing how such a small thing... a small piece of muscle and flesh, one designed to give us a sense of taste, to enjoy to wonderful cuisines of the world... how this thing can cause such harm and pain to anothers heart...

Yet despite the many many times I've tried to bite my tongue, I have failed at many times and have said things I regret... adding fuel to the fire...

"you can't fight fire with fire!!!!!!"

and yet it is so damn hard to just walk away and not say anything... my pride swells up and wants to bite back... dish back that conniving sarcastic comment... or return that slap to the face...

even in just normal, regular day to day relations with friends, the tongue is not easy to tame... it's hard enough to tame your tongue with the ones you love, let alone those you don't get along with...

one phrase apart from the quote from James keeps coming back to me...

"you have one tongue, but two ears, so listen twice as much as you speak"...

I sooo need to do this more...
Heck... I'm sure God gave me big ears for a reason!!! I'd better put them to good use!!!!