“THINKABOUTIT” THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Monday; December 17, 2007

 

          I’m not much of a firefighter, much less an arson investigator, but one thing I know about fires is that for them to burn there must be a fuel source.  Take away the fuel and the fire will die; but, introduce more fuel to the fire and it will keep going and going and going!

          While I might wow you with my firm grasp of the obvious, I have to admit that I was not the first one to see the parallel between fuel and fire.  In fact, thousands of years ago, Solomon used this as a foundation to a proverb when he noted, “For lack of wood the fire goes out, and where there is no whisperer, contention quiets down.”  (Proverbs 26:20)  In the wise man’s most articulate way, he reduced strife down to a very simple concept:  gossip.  Take away misplaced whispering and backbiting and just like a fire without fuel, contention will fizzle out.

          When it comes to bad-mouthing people, are we helping or hurting?  Just like a fire that will consume anything (or anyone) in it’s path, once destructive gossip starts, there’s no telling who will get burned!

          Think about it!  For the Madison Avenue Church of Christ; this is Charlie Wharton.