In the same way, 

the tongue is a small part of the body, 

but it boasts of great things. 

Consider how small a spark sets a great forest ablaze. 

James 3:5 BSB

Our words matter.

We all know people who do not take care with their words, who "don't have a filter", who's words can set things ablaze in us and in others. 

And that's also been me.

I've not taken care with my words. 

And I suspect that even with maximum awareness and the desire to take care with my words, they are going to burn others in the future. 

And that's where we need each others grace. 

That when a fire is started (especially by accident) that we figure out ways to put it out quickly, acknowledge and restore the damage. 

I think there's a bigger aspect to this too which is ideas. Ideas created by words that set things on fire. Ideas about people, ethnicity, place, ownership, success, values, who we are, rights, responsibility... there's Ideas that set the world ablaze, spark protest, change, destruction, dismay.

And we have God's ideas that speak life, shalom, peace, care, compassion. 

The ideas we support and share matter.

James invites us to think about our words and about ideas and how they're shaping our world and our relationships.

#James

#words

#ideas

#somethingtosay

#ourwordsmatter