Lessons from the Fence Line

Happy Monday to our CFC Family!

As the weather finally begins to feel more seasonal, many of us are finding ourselves outside catching up on long overdue yard work. A few days ago, while cleaning along my fence line, I noticed that a fair bit of the river rocks I had placed around my lilac bushes over the past couple of years had slowly shifted underneath the fence and spilled out onto the city sidewalk. Rather than leaving them there, I grabbed a bucket, got down on my hands and knees, and began scooping them up to place them back where they belonged. What surprised me was how many had escaped. By the time I finished, I had collected an entire pail full of rocks.

As I scooping them up, my mind suddenly went to Psalm 141:3, where David prays, “Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips.”

The reason those rocks ended up outside the fence was simple: in one section of the flower bed, I had never installed a barrier to hold them in place. In other areas, I had used pieces of wood to keep the rocks contained, but in that particular spot I had run out of material and thought to myself, “They’ll probably be fine. They won’t go anywhere.” But over time, little by little, the rocks shifted. One pebble at a time they moved beyond where they were intended to be and made a mess by the city sidewalk.

Isn’t that often how our words work? David understood the power of words. He knew how easily careless speech could wander into places it never should have gone. That is why he prayed for God to place a guard over his mouth. He recognized that without God’s help, words spoken in frustration, anger, pride, gossip, or impatience could quickly create damage that is difficult to undo.

For the last couple of weeks, I’ve mention the scripture found in Proverbs 18:21 that reminds us that “death and life are in the power of the tongue.”

Our words have tremendous influence. They can encourage or discourage, heal or wound, unite or divide. Sometimes we think a careless comment is no big deal, but over time those little “pebbles” can pile up.

James 3:5 also compares the tongue to a small spark capable of starting a great fire. Such a small thing can have enormous consequences. Many of us can probably think back to moments where a single sentence spoken in haste created tension, hurt, or regret that lasted far longer than we expected.

What struck me most while picking up those rocks was how gradually it happened. I never noticed the movement day by day. The stones did not all spill out at once. It happened slowly, almost unnoticed, until eventually there was a mess outside the fence line.

The same can happen spiritually. Rarely do we suddenly fall into destructive conversations or harmful speech overnight. More often it begins with small compromises: an unchecked opinion, a sarcastic remark, a bit of gossip, an unnecessary argument, or words spoken when emotions are running high. Without proper “guards,” our speech slowly drifts beyond where God intended it to go.

How many times have we found ourselves involved in situations that could have been avoided entirely if we had simply stayed in our own “yard”?

Maybe we inserted ourselves into conflicts that were never ours to carry. Maybe we spoke too quickly instead of listening. Maybe we allowed frustration to spill out onto others. Often the pain that follows comes not because we intended harm, but because we neglected to place boundaries around our words.

Ephesians 4:29 encourages believers to speak only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs.

Colossians 4:6 reminds us to let our conversations be full of grace. Those verses point us back to intentional living. God does not merely want us to avoid harmful speech; He desires that our words become instruments of encouragement, wisdom, peace, and truth.

The good news is that God is willing to help us in this area. David’s prayer was not a prayer of defeat; it was a prayer of dependence. He understood that guarding our hearts and mouths is not something we accomplish perfectly on our own. We need the Holy Spirit to help us pause before speaking, to give us discernment, and to teach us when silence may be wiser than words.

As I dumped those rocks back into the flower bed, I realized something else: it is always easier to maintain the guard than it is to clean up the mess afterward. The truth is, if I choose not to fix the problem and place a barrier in front of those rocks, I will find myself dealing with the very same issue next spring and the spring after that. Taking the time to fix the problem now will help prevent me from repeating the same cycle over and over again.

Maybe this week is an opportunity for all of us to pay closer attention to the “fence lines” in our own lives. Are there areas where our words have begun to drift? Are there conversations we need to step away from and begin building guards around? Are there places where God is calling us to greater wisdom, gentleness, or restraint?

If so, don’t wait for a more “convenient” time to deal with it. Ask the Lord to help you build that guard today—you will be so glad that you did!

Question: What kind of “guard” are you allowing God to build around your heart and your words?

Have a great week and we’ll see you Sunday;

Pastor Dan