“Without wood, fire goes out; without a gossip, conflict dies down” – Proverbs 26:20
James calls our tongues “a fire…a world of wickedness corrupting your entire body” (James 3:6). Do we hear this warning?
Conflict is born easily because of our tongues – hurtful words fly from our mouths, gossip travels rampant on our teams, and we constantly want to share opinions on things that we know nothing about. Do we think before we speak? Do we listen before we talk?
Remember fires need fuel. One of our FCA teammates in Illinois, Roger Lipe, said recently, “Please resist the temptation to add fuel to the ignorance, (gossip), and outrage fire”. Reflect: are you a fire-starter or a fire-stopper? Let us stop fueling the fires of conflict and, instead, surrender our tongues to Christ.
God Bless,
Willis Overton