Daily Devotional for March 27, 2011

James 1:26
If you think you are being religious, but can't control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and everything you do is useless.

Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.

Suppose someone posted a comment on Facebook and criticized a group of people who practice a certain lifestyle, or are of a certain race or ethnicity. And suppose that person was a teacher/nurse/community leader/Sunday-school teacher/self-professed Christian. For instance… what if one of these people posted a comment that “I’m tired of the way the people on XYZ dress so gay,” or “I won’t go to such-and-such part of town because that’s where the ABC (insert your ethnicity, race, or socio-economic group here) people live or hang out.” It’s certainly the right of anyone in America to post such comments… free speech, you know.


But how do you suppose this makes the person making the comment appear to others? If the comment was made by a nurse who works in a local clinic, do you suppose that the people to whom he/she referred will feel welcome and treated fairly there in the future? If the comment was made by a teacher, do you think his/her students will feel they receive respect and fair treatment in the classroom if they fall into the category about which this person “vented?” If this statement was made by a supposed Christian, will the people to whom he/she referred truly feel the love of Christ demonstrated by this person?


Think about it. When we wear a T-shirt that says “Abortion Kills” we very well may be making an accurate statement… and we may feel that we need to say something this shocking and to the point to get others’ attention. But consider how the teenage girl who has had an abortion feels when she encounters someone wearing one of these shirts. Will she feel that she is loved and accepted by this person… or will she feel condemned? Will she feel like she could ever be loved by Jesus Christ… or will she just feel like a hopeless murderer?


We are well within our rights to say lots of things… but that doesn’t mean we should say them. And it’s not because we are involved in a particular profession, working in a church, a parent/coach/political leader – or even a Christian. It’s not about being held to higher standards necessarily or being expected to behave better because of our “station” in life (although that’s not necessarily a bad thing). It’s about our example to others… the message we convey. Because we are Christians – disciples of Jesus Christ… we must carefully guard what we say at all times.


I know I’ve worn out the clichés that “People are always watching” and “Words are like toothpaste – once they are out, it’s hard to put them back!” But the truth is, sometimes our words – even if we feel they are right or it’s our moral obligation to share them – can hurt the cause for Christianity. And people are watching. We can often do more harm than good with the words we utter.


When we say something that causes another person to feel badly about himself/herself – particularly with regard to the love, grace and mercy offered by our Heavenly Father… if we plant even the slightest seed of doubt or question that God could love this person who practices an alternative lifestyle, is of a different race or ethnicity, or doesn’t fit our socio-economic standards… we have betrayed our own faith and truly served the wrong master. We’ve left the door wide open for Satan, and said, “You’re not good enough for Jesus… but there’s room for you in Hell.”


This may seem harsh and melodramatic. But I’ve seen the hurt and devastation in the hearts and lives of those at whom such seemingly “innocent” comments were directed. I’ve heard them say, “There’s no place for me in the church,” and watched them shrink from becoming part of a church family – or even accepting Christ as their Savior – because they felt unworthy, based on the attitudes and judgments of others. It breaks my heart to see this… but I can’t begin to imagine what it must do to Jesus. He gave so much for ALL of us… and we just don’t seem to get it much of the time. He told us clearly in the scripture to love others as we love ourselves… and HOW to love one another… and we still can’t seem to get it right.


All I am asking is that we guard our thoughts and take a deep breath before we speak – or post – or judge. Let’s ask ourselves… “Will this further the Kingdom of God… or will it do more harm than good?” It wouldn’t hurt to stop and utter a prayer and ask God to help us decide which way to go! Once we have a clear direction, we can proceed… confident that God is pleased with our words and actions… and that His will is being done. We won’t have to worry about retracting our words or deeds… if we just take a little time to prayerfully consider them in the first place.

©2011 Debbie Robus