Every year forest fires strike in several places of the world, with a impressing fury, capable to devastate huge areas of woodland and leva the surrounding population in maximum alert. When that happens many homeowners are preventively evacuated without knowing if their houses will be there when they come back. Their present and future happiness is threatened by the impetus and uncertainty of the flames.
Facing that the uncertainty, communities, families and friends unite themselves in support to those affected, whishing them the best despite the unfortunate situation. But what control do we have over what will happen in the future? Some things depend on us but other things don’t, so how can we prepare ourselves?
The Bible New Testament teaches that the tongue is capable of setting a forest on fire. Therefore if we aspire true happiness we have to start by watching what we say, for our words are capable to ignite our environment. The teaching goes even further and says that the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.
What others carry in their heart may not depend on us, but what we carry in our own heart certainly does. Our future happiness will depend on our capacity to perceive if the words that come from our heart and are uttered by our tongue builds or destroys our surroundings.
At times we are too rigorous while listening to the words of others, but too permissive while uttering our words to them. May we create a better future correcting that. May our future be as happy as our words will allow.
- Why to we utter offensive words to others?
- Which words should we exclude from our vocabulary?
(The tongue and the forest, James 3:4-6 / The heart and the mouth, Luke 6:43-45)
Commissioner Torben Eliason is the Territorial Commander of the Southern Africa Territory.