In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. - James 3:5
There is something special about having a fire in the
fireplace on that first cold night of winter.
After it ignites I find myself sitting and just watching it for a
while. The flames dance and the colors
change. It really develops a life of its
own. It’s fascinating to watch and
consider fire in itself. In any
survival type reality show you see, you are told about how essential fire is
because of what it provides. It purifies
water to make it safe to drink. It
provides warmth and light. It provides a
way to cook a meal so you can have nourishment.
This contained fire provides life giving qualities.
While a controlled fire burning within its boundaries is a
great thing, it must remain contained or we will be burned. We see stories on the news of the destruction
that happens when a spark starts a fire that rages out of control. It destroys forests, wildlife, homes and
takes lives. Fire has amazing power for
good and bad.
We can consider our words in a very similar manner. We have the opportunity to create an internal
fire in those we speak to. And like a
real fire, it can provide life giving qualities or it can be destructive. In other words, we can choose to use our
words to spark a fire that encourages others and builds them up or we can choose
words to tear another down. Our words can create a passion in others that
could make them want to strive to become the person God created them to
be. Words can also spark a fire of anger
and self-destruction that could cause someone to run from ever realizing the
potential God put inside them.
Considering these options, we probably would say to
ourselves, “Why would I ever choose to tear someone down like that? That’s just cruel!”. Unfortunately, we seem to live in a time that
words are not considered as they freely roll off the tongue or from our
fingertips into the social media world.
It’s easy to make” less than attractive” comments to a faceless world we
don’t see. It’s much easier to allow
sarcasm to roll off our tongues rather than sincerity. It’s as though the world around us has
forgotten how to find the positive in people and give a sincere compliment. So many times we don’t even realize the
negative words and tones that we use so easily.
God created us to be relational beings. The impact we have in these relationships and
these relationships on ourselves too can be very strong. It is so great to have those friends in our
lives who help us recognize opportunities for change and improvement in our
lives. They spark a fire in us to become
what God has created us to be. However,
there are some relationships that spark that fire of anger and
self-destruction. Before we know it, the
impact those relationships can have are causing us to run from our
potential. Words that carelessly rolled
off a tongue created a fire of rebellion in order to overcome a sense of
defeat. My prayer is that my words create a fire in those around me that encourages them to want to know God in a deeper way so that He can show them who He created them to be. Can you imagine what would happen in our individual worlds if our words were always intended to build others up? The ripple effect would be…like a wild fire - a controlled, life producing wild fire.
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