So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of
great things. Behold how great a forest is set aflame by such a small
fire! James 3:5 (NASB)

We have all seen footage of forest fires. Some of you may have even
witnessed one in person. I remember earlier this year seeing a pillar of
smoke just north of where I live. It looked to me to be just a couple of
miles north of my house. In my novice judgment I also thought it looked
like a fire that may have covered the area of a few city blocks at best.
I was very surprised to learn that the fire actually covered an area of
thousands of acres and was actually somewhere beyond 20 miles north of
my
house. Each year forest fires cause massive destruction to the forest
and
manmade structures. There is also a human toll to many of these fires.
The damage done by these fires takes years to repair and in the instance
of a lost loved one there is a lifetime of loss.

None of these fires spontaneously starts over several square miles at
once. They are all started by some small event. Often a lightning
strike,
an improperly maintained campfire, sparks from a train, or even a
carelessly discarded cigarette cause a very small fire that grows to
gargantuan proportions. Sometimes there is intent to cause damage, but
many times the offense is completely innocent. When we are in a forest
full of ripe tender you must be exceedingly careful that we do not
initiate something that we cannot control. In the same way, as
Christians, we must always be aware that what we say can and will affect
those around us. I know that I am not always conscious of the effect
that
my words have on those around me. I often carelessly toss a comment "out
the window" that causes irreparable damage to those around me. That
comment can cause damage that I am not able to repair. It may even cause
someone that does not believe in Christ saving grace to be turned off to
pursuing a relationship with him. It is my responsibility to be
conscious
that words mean things and I cannot carelessly throw them around and
expect that there will be no consequences.

Tobin Stratman