Words of Fire

One of my favorite things about living on a farm was creating a bonfire. After every wind there were sticks and branches to pick up from under all our trees. During our 25 years on the acreage, there were many wind storms. Two were horrific, bringing down trees, so there was plenty of picking up and sawing to go around to everyone in the extended family who came to help us.

Courtesy of the Web

I enjoyed picking up sticks and branches and adding them to a burn pile. Sometimes the piles would wait a long time before we found the right calm day when it wasn't too dry to burn. John calls me a firebug because I love to start fires and watch fires burn. I promise I am not an arsonist. But now that we live in a city with a no-burn ordinance, I'm beginning to crave a bonfire.

What I love most about a fire is the smell of wood smoke and burning leaves. I love walking through a neighborhood and smelling someone's wood fireplace at work. I know for some people with breathing issues the smoke creates a physical problem. That's what was nice about the acreage, we were far enough away from most people that we didn't create a problem.

In the Bible there isn't much good about a fire. Fire often symbolizes hell and destruction. But God also used fire as a symbol of His power, to provide light in darkness, to refine or purify, and to represent what the tongue is capable of.

"Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell," (James 3:5-6 NIV).

The scars of hurtful words can last a lifetime and change relationships, damage a life. Words are able to cut like a knife. The tongue is "a restless evil, full of deadly poison" (James 3:8b NIV). We must use words with caution. I remember Mama telling me, "If you can't say something nice about someone don't say anything at all." I've tried to follow that advice, though I know I've failed miserably at times in my life, and I deeply regret some of the things I allowed my tongue to say.

As we begin a new week of a new month, in even a new hour, I'm going to try to keep my tongue from speaking negative things. But, I know it is only with Jesus that I can use my words for good.

May we all speak good things today and bless others with our spoken and written words and leave the fire for a pile of sticks.