A crew of workmen labor for several months to build a house. When completed, it houses not only a family, but represents a sizable investment. However, if someone forgets to put a cigarette out, and something catches fire, that fire can completely consume that house in short order.
A forest may take fifty or more years to grow to its full size, but because someone was careless, a forest fire can sweep through and destroy it all in just a few days.
Similarly, we can look at the church the same way. A unified, loving and growing congregation which has been built up over many years by the work and service of many individual Christians, may be destroyed, divided, and devastated by one or two people who love to criticize, slander, and spread gossip about their fellow Christians.
James tells us that the tongue is like a fire, in that it can consume and destroy what has taken years to build up (James 3:5-6). Therefore, it is important to realize that as Christians, we need to “think” before we speak (James 1:19-20; Ephesians 4:29-32).
A house or forest that has been devastated by fire is indeed a tragedy, but a church or even an individual Christian devastated by criticism and gossip, is even more tragic. Perhaps if we were to remember that we are talking about members of God’s family, we would be less ready to say hateful and harmful things.
—Mike Riley, Gospel Snippets
A forest may take fifty or more years to grow to its full size, but because someone was careless, a forest fire can sweep through and destroy it all in just a few days.
Similarly, we can look at the church the same way. A unified, loving and growing congregation which has been built up over many years by the work and service of many individual Christians, may be destroyed, divided, and devastated by one or two people who love to criticize, slander, and spread gossip about their fellow Christians.
James tells us that the tongue is like a fire, in that it can consume and destroy what has taken years to build up (James 3:5-6). Therefore, it is important to realize that as Christians, we need to “think” before we speak (James 1:19-20; Ephesians 4:29-32).A house or forest that has been devastated by fire is indeed a tragedy, but a church or even an individual Christian devastated by criticism and gossip, is even more tragic. Perhaps if we were to remember that we are talking about members of God’s family, we would be less ready to say hateful and harmful things.
—Mike Riley, Gospel Snippets
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