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James 3, 5 On October 8, 2017, wind blasted through northern California, spreading a series of wildfires at an alarming rate.
Flames raced from tree to tree and then house to house, faster than a car could drive.
What was once a few small, contained blazes became collectively the most devastating wildfire in the history of the United States, burning nearly 245,000 acres and causing at least $9.4 billion in insured damages.
In our text, James compared the devastation of fire to the devastation that can come from uncontrolled words.
How many times have words wounded a heart, damaged trust, or caused a person to stumble in his or her faith? Although James was specifically addressing teachers and spiritual leaders in this portion of his letter, his words should remind us all how important it is to control our tongues.
Catherine Marshall, an American inspirational author and wife of twice-appointed Senate Chaplain Peter Marshall, discovered through personal experience the importance of controlling one's words.
She had drifted into a habit of being critical of others, justifying her tendency toward negative speech by telling herself that God gave us intelligence to analyze and evaluate.
However, she felt the Lord dealing with her about this and eventually decided to try a one-day experiment.
Just for one day, she would refrain from criticism.
Within a few short hours, she realized this was not going to be easy.
She was surprised to realize just how much of her daily conversations had been judgmental in nature.
It took real effort to hold her tongue, and eventually she found herself simply sitting silently through a good portion of the day.
However, through that experiment, God helped her learn a valuable lesson about the importance of being careful how she spoke.
Words can also be written, and a less than kind comment on social media can have just as much impact as a thoughtlessly spoken jab.
Conversely, a quick email or text message of encouragement to a friend can be just as much of a blessing as a quietly voiced word of comfort or appreciation.
The key is control.
If we control fire, we can use it to cook our food, warm our bodies, and light up a dark night.
If we control our tongues, we can use that power to honor God and to benefit others.
So let us purpose to be careful with our words.
They have great power to affect others and could lead to eternal consequences.
James 3, 5 On October 8, 2017, wind blasted through northern California, spreading a series of wildfires at an alarming rate.
Flames raced from tree to tree and then house to house, faster than a car could drive.
What was once a few small, contained blazes became collectively the most devastating wildfire in the history of the United States, burning nearly 245,000 acres and causing at least $9.4 billion in insured damages.
In our text, James compared the devastation of fire to the devastation that can come from uncontrolled words.
How many times have words wounded a heart, damaged trust, or caused a person to stumble in his or her faith? Although James was specifically addressing teachers and spiritual leaders in this portion of his letter, his words should remind us all how important it is to control our tongues.
Catherine Marshall, an American inspirational author and wife of twice-appointed Senate Chaplain Peter Marshall, discovered through personal experience the importance of controlling one's words.
She had drifted into a habit of being critical of others, justifying her tendency toward negative speech by telling herself that God gave us intelligence to analyze and evaluate.
However, she felt the Lord dealing with her about this and eventually decided to try a one-day experiment.
Just for one day, she would refrain from criticism.
Within a few short hours, she realized this was not going to be easy.
She was surprised to realize just how much of her daily conversations had been judgmental in nature.
It took real effort to hold her tongue, and eventually she found herself simply sitting silently through a good portion of the day.
However, through that experiment, God helped her learn a valuable lesson about the importance of being careful how she spoke.
Words can also be written, and a less than kind comment on social media can have just as much impact as a thoughtlessly spoken jab.
Conversely, a quick email or text message of encouragement to a friend can be just as much of a blessing as a quietly voiced word of comfort or appreciation.
The key is control.
If we control fire, we can use it to cook our food, warm our bodies, and light up a dark night.
If we control our tongues, we can use that power to honor God and to benefit others.
So let us purpose to be careful with our words.
They have great power to affect others and could lead to eternal consequences.
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