Flaming Destruction
The wildfires sweeping across Colorado Springs reached within a forth of a mile of the beautiful log home of friends. The evacuation order found them in Denver so they became homeless with only the clothes on their backs.
The wildfires sweeping across Colorado Springs reached within a forth of a mile of the beautiful log home of friends. The evacuation order found them in Denver so they became homeless with only the clothes on their backs.
For several days, staying with friends, they prayed and waited. Finally, as the fires grew even closer, they were allowed ten minutes under escort to return and gather what little they could and retrieve their cars.
Then more waiting as heroic firefighters took a stand against encroaching flames. Prayer requests circled the globe via Facebook calling for intercession. Pictures of flaming mountains incited concern. More waiting then an electronic cheer went viral as the evacuation order was lifted and they celebrated deliverance by posting a banner from their deck, “Firefighters are our heroes.”
So many analogies came to my mind as I prayed and watched. James 3:5-6 reminds us “the tongue is a small part of the body, yet it has great pretensions. Think how small a flame sets a huge forest ablaze. And the tongue is a fire! The tongue represents the world of wrongdoing among the parts of our bodies. It pollutes the entire body and sets fire to the course of human existence – and is set on fire by hell.”
Watching the devastation of homes and forests in Colorado I couldn’t help but be reminded in our day and especially in this political season of the dangers inherent in our words. Words not only wound, but also ignite a spark that devastates lives, homes and churches. Electronics speed the process, for good or ill.
Psalm 141:3 asks “O Lord, place a guard on my mouth! Protect the opening of my lips!” One practical suggestion for guarding my words comes from an antique journal, “Remember, before you repeat any remark or gossip, go through three gates named True, Needful, Kind. If it is true, needful and kind to all concerned, then you may tell it.” Not a bad filter to remember and reflective of Philippians 4:8. May we not let our words create flaming destruction.
Gwynne Johnson
Gwynne Johnson currently serves on the Board of Entrust, Inc., an international education and training mission where she authored the Entrust curriculum, Developing a Discerning Heart. She recently served as Co-Chair of the training project, Christian Women in Partnership, Russia and as Senior Director of Women's Ministry at Stonebriar Community Church in Frisco, Texas. Gwynne has a M.A. in Biblical Studies from Dallas Theological Seminary. She currently lives in Huntsville, Texas with her husband of 58 years, Don. She works part-time in her daughter and granddaughter's bakery "The Best Box Ever," where she gets paid in cookies.
