Words on Fire

Read: James 3:1-10

“Hey, Dad, do you know what Elise told me?” asked Tenley.

Dad put down the book he was reading and smiled. Tenley loved to tell him everything that was going on with her friends at school—even when they were on vacation.

“Elise says Aria’s dad was arrested and taken to the police station,” Tenley went on. “He was driving under the influence—that means he was drunk—and he crashed into another car. Elise says he gets drunk every weekend, and he—”

“Hold on a minute, Tenley,” said Dad. “How do you know what Elise said is true? And even if it is, should you repeat it? You could hurt Aria’s father badly by saying things like that about him. And I’m sure it would hurt Aria to know you’re telling people about her family’s problems.”

“Well, I—” Tenley suddenly stood up and pointed to a nearby campsite. “Dad, look! Over there! Those leaves are on fire!”

Dad and Tenley raced over to the campsite, grabbing a couple of wet towels from the line as they went. A hot log had rolled out of an unattended fire, and dry leaves had started to burn. Tenley and Dad stomped and beat the spreading flames until they had the fire out.

“That was a close one!” Dad said.

“Yeah,” said Tenley. “I wonder where the people are who started the fire.”

As they walked back to their own campsite, Dad said, “You know, Tenley, Mom and I love that you like to share ideas and experiences. But when you share information that’s harmful, it’s called gossip. God says the tongue is like a fire, and you saw how fast fire can get out of control. That can happen with words too. What you say can be exaggerated, and it can spread rapidly and hurt others—like Aria and her dad.”

Tenley nodded. “I’m sorry, Dad. I’ll be more careful about repeating things I hear.”

“Good,” said Dad. “The best way to do that is to trust God to help you speak about others in a loving way. God loves us all so much that He sent Jesus to die for us so we could have eternal life with Him. Trust Him to help you show His love through your words.”

–Judith K. Boogaart

How about you? Do you speak words that are on fire? Could they get out of control and spread rapidly, causing people to get hurt? If you hear gossip that could burn someone, put it out! Don’t repeat information that may not be true or could embarrass or hurt others. Trust God to help you use the words you say to show love and support for others—even when they’re not there to hear them.

Today's Key Verse: Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs. (NIV) Ephesians 4:29

Today's Key Thought: Don’t repeat hurtful words