"For every kind of beasts, and.. things in the sea... hath been tamed of mankind: but the tongue can no man tame." James 3:7,8.
Elephants are included in the above Bible verse and have been useful to mankind over the years. In olden days they were often used in wars to carry soldiers and move heavy equipment. Royal people are still sometimes carried on elephants' decorated backs in fancy parades, and they are useful in many other ways.
An example of their usefulness is that in Asian countries they help in forest work, including uprooting trees, pulling them out for cutting, then carrying the logs in their trunks or tusks to storage areas where they cleverly stack them or load them on trucks.
What kind of school do they attend? When natives need a worker elephant they search wild areas for a suitable one. Then several men and two or more big, strong, tamed elephants go after it—an exciting and dangerous experience! The first thing is to get it off by itself where it is "tranquilized" with a dart from a special gun, and it soon lies sleeping on the ground. Strong ropes are tied around each leg above the foot, and the ends are tied to nearby trees. Another rope, passed around its neck, is tied to the "teacher" elephants standing on either side of it.
Awakening, it rises and tugs and pulls on the ropes until it realizes this is useless. Then the two teacher elephants move in pressing against it and gently but firmly making it understand it must do as they tell it. Soon the three of them move slowly around, the captive resisting, but gradually learning that neither its teachers nor the men are going to harm it. Soon the teachers take it slowly between them to a stockade where it is released.
With kind but firm treatment and continued teaching, it gradually loses its wildness and understands commands it must obey. Finally the day comes when, with the two teachers, the men take it to the forest where they are working. After many trips, with the patience and skill of men and teachers, the new member soon learns how to help with the work and does it willingly. Its school term is over It is only too true that we can tame the wildest creature, as the opening verse says, but are unable to control our own tongue. How naughty it can be and how sorry we often are for what we have said, but it can never be called back.
What can be done about it? Well, we can admit to the Lord Jesus how helpless we are and trust Him to control our tongue. He has promised to do just that if we ask Him. His promise is: "I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with Mine eye." Psa. 32:8. Won't you trust His promise?