The tongue is a FIRE

Strange as it is, I woke up this morning with my dream still in my mind. Bewildered, I open my digital bible for a verse for the day and it says; "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger"Prov. 15:1. Well, I still didn't understand, but the verse gave me a hint, that makes me more curious what was it all about.

My dream goes like this;  
     I was with my big filipino family.  My father was present, my mother, brothers, grandma, grandpa, aunts cousins and more. It looks like we had a gathering. My aunt Alice (who also lives here in Sweden) baked a sweet buns (bullar). It tasted so good but she just hid it in the kitchen under the table, So I took some and offer it others. Everyone asked where to get it, so I told them where, and almost everyone want it! My aunt looks so happy that we ate and liked what she baked. Then I left the place.
I found my self waiting for a bus but I noticed something I was holding that I need to burn. So I went to the fireplace near the bus stop. This place is meant to be there, for people to cook/grill something or burn something. I burned that thing in my hand and while it was still burning, I left and went to the bus thats coming and get in to continue my journey. While sitting in the bus travelling, I smelled a kind of smoke from a thing thats burning and the first thing that came to my mind was the one I was burning. So, I signalled the driver to stop. I need to get back to the fireplace. When I arrived there, I saw a MAN stopping the fire using his hands to get the thing that causes the fire, his feet stamping the burning grass, his mouth blowing off some tiny fires and even rolled his body on the fire in the plain ground. His face and clothes were became dirty and black but he's not burnt or hurt. Whats left to me were a tiny tongue-shaped fire along the sideways which I also stamped off by my feet. The man is one of the bystanders or a guard that usually sits on the built-in 'waiting shade' up in the tree. All who sits there can see whats going on there under. So, he saw the situation and came down to stop the fire.

THE LAST THING I SAW IN MY DREAM WHEN I WOKE UP WAS ME, STAMPING THE TINY FIRES THAT SCATTERED AROUND THE PLACE.

As I've said, I was not satisfied the verse I read, I still didn't understand my dream that bugs me, though I have this knowledge about the relationship of fire and the words (harsh) that comes out from the tongue. But then again still didn't get it, so I read more. I read my Daily Reading Plans and yet its about being truly wise or HEAVENLY WISDOM. That, the outward sign of 'heavenly wisdom is a gentle and humble spirit and therefore, all who are truly wise will have the hallmark of genuine humility.

Still, didn't connect to my dream. I thought.

But to my surprise! As I continue reading; the verses and more explanations given leads to the book of James chapter 3. It's about taming the tongue and in verse  6 says, "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" 

From there, I stopped and pondered, Is it because of my being outspoken? I might have often slipped out words that are already harsh and could burn and do harm even not in my intentions. Tendencies are, carelessness and tactlessness, thinking that I really have to slip it out because I need to, no big deal, people do the same (the scene where I need to burn the thing I was holding in the place where all others burn things). 

From the first verse, the Lord already warned me about harsh words stirs up anger. It's like burning fire and harm people we love. And in my reading, it teaches about the characteristics of heavenly wisdom. It is gentle, courteous and respectful of the feelings of others. 

I might have the gift of tongue that lifts people up. To spread the good news that makes people happy and interested and encourages other people about what their talents are and what they can do. (the scene where I shared the sweet buns and spread the news about what my Aunt can do. It brings my family happy and encouraged and received/ate sweet foods, good to the mouth and it gives good feelings.)

But in the same tongue I can harm people if I'm not aware about it. In verse 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". 

My dear friends, I would like to share an excerpt from my reading plans that summed up the lesson for today;
"If your heart is right before God, He will use your words to produce the right kind of fruit in your life. Your outward behaviour will reflect if you are wise as you control your tongue" 

God bless everyone and thanks for reading! May you got something good in it that can help your journey in life.