
All it takes is one. One enterprising and scouting Asian hornet to find the honey bee colony and mark it with an irresistible scent. It will then return with a band of natural born killers and make all hell break loose. This information comes from a National Geographic video... that documents the annihilation of 30,000 European honey bees by just 30... yes... just 30 giant Asian hornets. The bully to beat all bullies... in the world of insects... and it all started with just one hornet.
Sometimes that's all it takes... one thought or one word that will start... an avalanche of ill will and malice. Think for a moment about Adolf Hitler... did you know that he loved the arts... and had dreams of being painter? He grew up in a middle class family with a loving mother... his father on the other hand was a strict, authoritarian... which may have been the seed for his sons resentful and discontented personality.
However, young Hitler was even more embittered... at his rejection... by the Viennese Academy of the Fine Arts. At sixteen he left home to wallow in his misery and woe... for five years... while in Vienna. It was there he began to adopt his new viewpoint on life... and his new thoughts drew him inwardly into darkness... more each day... until there was a pure hatred of the Jews. He was unable to think of anything else... he allowed his thoughts to multiply until he was totally consumed with the "Killing of all Jews!" He was like one of those Asian hornets that was able to attack and kill with great ease. I realize that he probably had other things... that influenced his thinking... but we can be sure that Adolf had never learned self-control.
While Hitler is an extreme situation and example... we all have the potential to do great destruction to those around us by our thoughts... and by our words. We must be ever diligent to correct our wrong thinking and be very careful of what we speak... it doesn't take much to do enormous damage... and sadly... sometimes the damage doesn't appear for years!
There have been times... when I wished I could go back and change my thoughts... that became my actions and then my words... it just isn't possible! No matter how hard I try to say, "I'm sorry" it will never remove the sting of the hurt that was caused.
The Lord tells us to cast off darkness and to put on the armour of light! In doing so we can guard our thinking and speaking... I try to put on the armour of God each morning...before I get out of bed. I also ask the Lord to "investigate my life," cross-examine me... test me to get a clear picture of who I am. I want Him to let me know if I've done anything wrong... and I want Him to be my constant guide on this road to eternal life!
Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23,24 (KJV)