Dave Dishman

A couple of years ago one end of a chain slipped off the back of a truck in western Colorado. As the truck sped down the highway the chain bounced along, launching sparks into the parched grass along the roadside. The sparks started a huge wildfire, shutting down the interstate in both directions.

Just as sparks set off conflagrations, misspoken words result in pain and frustration. James wrote: The tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness…no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing.

Our speech carries the potential for tremendous harm. Just scan the social media environment and wince at the nastiness. Some perpetrators hide behind anonymous accounts as they launch their arsonous attacks. But others need no such protection. They spout libel and foolishness, sparking fires of hostility, way worse than that chain bouncing down the highway.

How do I avoid adding to the cultural inferno? As much as I’d like to comment, I keep my thoughts to myself when it comes to social media. I love to discuss hard topics face-to-face, but not over electronic media. Too much room for misunderstanding.

More importantly, as one who follows Jesus I seek out the wisdom and control of the Holy Spirit. Jesus described the Spirit as our Helper, and where else do I need more help than with my words? The tongue is indeed a fire, and I find only the Holy Spirit douses its flames before they get out of control.

James 3:6-11

Photo by Marcus Kauffman

For a season my wife and daughter and I watched American Idol. I enjoyed the show, especially the expertise of the professional musicians serving as judges. They caught things my amateur ears missed. I always liked when Randy Jackson, a long time judge, cocked his head during a performance. It meant he was hearing something interesting. Randy then either praised the singer or coached them in a better direction, always thorough in his listening before giving feedback.

Unfortunately, I’m not always thorough in my listening. I make speaking too soon a regular habit. But life is much better when I listen to the end of the performance.

The Apostle James encouraged his scattered audience to develop an ear for listening: Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

Quick to hear. The phrase points to habits of leaning in, cocking the ear, catching every word, and asking clarifying questions. The phone placed out of reach with its temptation to scroll. A good listener—attentive, interested, engaged and patient—makes for a strong friend and powerful confidant.

The Lord is quick to hear us, for which I remain ever grateful. We represent him admirably to friends and neighbors and spouses and children and co-workers when we listen to the end with them as well.

James 1:19-20

Photo by Eric Mok

Last year on a hike in the foothills outside of Boulder, Colorado, my wife and I walked up on a couple our age searching for psychedelic mushrooms. Rather evasive, they feared sharing their secret hunting grounds. Old hippies getting high struck me as comical, but these two seemed a bit unhinged (years of partying on shrooms probably had something to do with that). While most of us learn to think in a more adult fashion as we move through life, maturity does not automatically appear.

The Apostle Paul pushed the congregation in Corinth toward maturity: But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way…

Maturity involves setting aside adolescence with its mistakes, misdeeds, and mushrooms, and imbibing instead on the ways of Jesus. Always a struggle, we progress beyond childish ways through hard work and hard knocks. With the Scriptures as our blueprint and the Holy Spirit as our guide, we possess the tools for growth. Now is the day to stop chasing juvenile pursuits. Now is the day to reach for the prize found only in Jesus Christ.

Philippians 3:13-15

Photo by Arman Parnak

A few years in a row I attended the Colorado state high school track championships (my son and daughter both competed). In between their events I watched the boys 100 meter finals for the large school division. These were the fastest boys from the largest schools. Arguably, the final race featured the eight fastest kids in Colorado.

Fans packed the stands near the finish line, as well as a number of scouts from college football programs. The young men (one could hardly call them boys) shot off the line and thundered down the track. Each strained through the finish. I marveled at the speed and skill with which they raced. So did the scouts, who marked times and made notes. I remember a close race between all eight, not a poser in the bunch. No one got to that final based on reputation or friendly placement. If you ran with those horses, you had to be fast.

The Lord gave Jeremiah a pep talk about racing. Jeremiah complained about how the wicked around him prospered, and how the Lord appeared to support them in their comfortable lives. God answered back: If racing against mere men makes you tired, how will you race against horses?

Jeremiah voiced a valid complaint. Sent as a messenger to Judah, no one listened. His own family rejected him. But God did not speak kind words to salve Jeremiah’s hurt feelings. Things were about to get worse, and the Lord braced Jeremiah for what headed his way.

I’m reminded of how God responded to Job in his questioning. The Lord didn’t explain things to Job, nor did he explain things to Jeremiah. He simply pointed out who was God and who was not. He then pushed them forward.

I’ve noticed that God does not explain things to me either. He does not soothe my hurt feelings or coddle my bruised ego. Instead, he pushes me forward, into challenging spaces and fearful situations. The Lord wants you and me to run, and we cannot do so if we linger in the injury tent. I may never know what lies behind my difficult situations, but I can move forward, confident that the Lord prepares me to race with the horses.

Jeremiah 12:5

Photo by Pietro Mattia