James 3:3-6
A bit in the mouth of a horse controls the whole horse. A small rudder on a huge ship in the hands of a skilled captain sets a course in the face of the strongest winds. A word out of your mouth may seem of no account, but it can accomplish nearly anything—or destroy it!
It only takes a spark, remember, to set off a forest fire. A careless or wrongly placed word out of your mouth can do that. By our speech we can ruin the world, turn harmony to chaos, throw mud on a reputation, send the whole world up in smoke and go up in smoke with it, smoke right from the pit of hell.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
For most of the summer, our entire state – and much of the country - has been under a burn ban. A drought created conditions that were ripe for dangerous, deadly fires… and sadly, thousands of acres in our state and others have been left in char and ashes. Some in Arkansas lost their homes, but even more lost everything in the states of Colorado, Idaho, and Washington. In almost an instant, families went from living their everyday lives to being told to get out immediately. When they returned, nothing remained where only a few hours earlier they had gone about their day. In many of these instances, the tiniest spark started all of this. I know of more than one instance in Arkansas where the blade of a tractor or mower hit a rock, created a spark, and hundreds of acres were ruined.
One would think that such a tiny spark could be quickly and easily extinguished. Surely the person on the tractor could have jumped off and hurriedly put out the fire before it spread! In truth, this spark set off a firestorm that raged so quickly that nobody had the time or capability to stop it singlehandedly. Even if several people had been nearby to help, I am not sure that some of these fires could have been corralled. The damage was done – instantly. And while these fires were contained over time, the collateral destruction in some cases is almost immeasurable. Family homes can be rebuilt. Memories remain… but photos, personal papers, mementos and treasures – and even family – are gone forever in many cases.
When we speak, each of our words has the same potential as a spark. We can instigate good with our comments… or we can set off a firestorm of disastrous events. And as I have said before, words are like toothpaste – once they are “out of the tube,” I challenge you to put them back! So when we fly off the handle and speak without thinking, we can hurt a lot of people. We may “accidentally” pepper our language with four-letter words, but others see us as someone who has a “colorful” vocabulary (and I’m being nice here!).
When we tell someone how we really feel – and do so with blunt, stinging criticisms – we may be able to repair the damage and rebuild the relationship later… but it will take a lot of work and forgiveness – and maybe a generous heart or two. When we call people names, we have judged them. When we tell a kid, “You can’t do that!” – as in, “You can’t go to college,” or “You’ll never amount to anything,” we have spoken a wildfire of discouragement to that child that may have lifelong ramifications.
I know far too many people who feel that God doesn’t care about them because someone told them they were wrong to ask questions, their behavior was unforgivable, or they were simply not good enough. I know others who were called an ugly name, and it scarred them for life. In essence, our words have the potential to destroy. The structural framework of a person’s life may be rebuilt in time… but often, there are little snippets of the heart that never mend. And this breaks God’s heart.
Here’s the deal… what break’s God’s heart should break ours. We should impose our own “burn ban” on words that judge, offend, wound, and destroy others. We must continually be asking God for guidance before we speak, rather than asking Him to help us repair the damage afterward. We have to be thoughtful and careful about everything we say. Yes, we must always speak the truth… and sometimes this can be painful for others to hear. But we absolutely must consider our delivery and make sure that our tongue is not the spark for a firestorm of destruction… the catalyst for irreparable damage… and a huge disappointment to our Heavenly Father.
What are you speaking today? Are your words soothing and encouraging… or are they rapid-fire and potentially volatile, like a bottle rocket on the Fourth of July? Spend some time with God today, and ask Him to help you control your tongue. Make sure that what you say honors Him and builds up His children… and His Kingdom.
©2012 Debbie Robus
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