Creator, Father, King #333

If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless.

WITH ITS HOT, DRY climate spanning the summer/fall months and large forested areas, much of California is a prime target for devastating wildfires. Worst of all, the deadliest infernos can start from the smallest sparks.

On July 23, 2018, a recreational trailer’s tire blew out as it was traveling on State Route 299 near Redding in Northern California. A few sparks flew over the guardrails and into some dry brush, igniting what quickly became a full-fledged blaze. The Carr Fire, as it was named, eventually killed eight people, consumed more than 229,000 acres, and destroyed nearly 1,100 homes over the span of thirty-nine days.

Tragically, that was just the beginning of California’s catastrophic 2018. Over the next four months, four other major wildfires ravaged various parts of America’s most populous state, burning hundreds of thousands of acres, destroying thousands of homes, and killing at least one hundred people.

A few fiery sparks can cause incomprehensible damage, both literally and metaphorically. This was the apostle James’s message in James 3:1-12. Look at verses 5-6:

A tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.

We must take this powerful portion of Scripture to heart.

What’s It Mean?

When it comes to human relationships, our words hold enormous power. They can praise, encourage, equip, and restore. Yet they can also cause untold amounts of destruction, like a wildfire indiscriminately scorching everything in its path. As James says, too often we praise God one minute, then slander people made in God’s image the next. This is hypocritically wicked (James 3:9-10).

How can such evil come from a Christian’s mouth? Jesus gets to the heart of the matter—literally—in Matthew 12:34: “Whatever is in your heart determines what you say.” If your heart is filled with anger and bitterness, your speech will reflect it. If your heart is controlled by God’s love, joy, and peace, your speech will reflect that instead.

Your mouth can be a destructive inferno or a wellspring of encouragement. Which will yours be?

Now What?

Be on the lookout daily for ways to encourage others with your words.

Did You Know?

Jesus also said everyone “must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak” (Matthew 12:36). Sobering words!