If you have ever lived in an area prone to wildfires, you know how much damage they can do and how quickly they can spread. Literally within minutes they can destroy homes, property and lives. It doesn't take much to start one either. A small spark, lightning, or an act of carelessness can set the tinder box ablaze. When a wildfire gets going, it can be almost impossible to put out quickly, especially if there is a wind and the environment is arid and hot. Considering the damaging power of fire, have you ever considered that we have that damaging power within ourselves? It is called our tongue. This is what God tells us in James 3:6 regarding our tongue: "And 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." (NLT) WOW!
Over the years, I have set many fires with my tongue and some of them burned for a very long time. Along the path, there was much destruction and in a few instances ... death; death to love, trust and relationships. If you are living and breathing, you too, have probably started a fire or two. All it takes is a spark; a simple word. Add to the environment a little heat of emotion and the arid air of bitterness or self-pity and you have the ideal situation for a raging, out of control wildfire. The sad part is that by the time the spark is ignited, you usually know that you have set into motion something that will soon be out of control.
So, how do we combat this evil lurking within ourselves? We start with allowing the "Living Water" of the Holy Spirit to live in us. He then provides us with the tools that we will need to help control the spark from being ignited but in the event of a fire, He also gives us the equipment necessary to douse it quickly. The main spark arrestor is self-control. If we seek the Lord's help to enable this tool many fires will be prevented. However, if our flesh takes control and the tongue is let loose, then God still provides the equipment necessary to douse the flames before they get too far. Things such as humility, forgiveness, love and patience, just to name a few, are the pieces of equipment that the Lord provides, not only for the arsonist, but also for the one in their path.
Wildfires are very real AND very scary. I used to live in a region that was very susceptible to them, but as humans, we live every day with the threat of starting one right where we live. How many have you started this year, this week or today? We need to be aware of the damage that we can do in a very small amount of time and be sure that we are prepared to apply the use of our spark arrestor the minute we feel one coming on!
Read James chapter 3 to see God's warnings about the power of our tongue and Galatians 5:16-26 for tips on proper firefighting techniques.
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