Proverbs 15:1
A kind answer soothes angry feelings, but harsh words stir them up.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Dallas
Police - and the country at large - are dealing with the aftermath of
the
heinous murder of 5 officers and the injury of 7 other people on July
7th. Today, warnings emerged that forced the Dallas Police Department
headquarters to go on
“lockdown” and search nearby buildings. People were beginning to come
together to honor the memory of those killed and to show support for the
injured. Kind words were being offered on all sides. Surely the
potential of this new threat had to stir up the feelings of fear, anger
and frustration that were tantamount just two nights ago.
If you
have ever watched young children at play, you know that one child can
take a toy from another…and ugly words and actions can ensue. Either an
adult can step in to moderate…or the children can resolve this conflict
on their own. A moment later, another child can dredge up the incident
or “stir the pot” with an unkind word or gesture…and “WWIII” erupts all
over again!
A friend can speak kindly to you…offer you words of
encouragement and make you feel good about yourself. And then he/she
can turn around and post something derogatory or hateful on social
media…share an off-color or racist joke in a group within your
earshot…or speak unkindly of someone else to you…and your total opinion
of that person changes. I have been incredibly disappointed by the words
and actions of people I thought were kind, Godly individuals. And I’ll tell you…sometimes, it has permanently colored my opinion of them.
It
should come as no surprise to us that people are watching and
listening…and that what we say and do matters. But some of us have a
hard time holding our tongue and refraining from sharing our thoughts
and opinions – even when we know what we are about to say or do will be
hurtful to others. We need to understand that we often get one shot at
getting this right…that the opinion others form of us happens in a few
brief seconds. And quite frequently, those telling moments determine
whether we represent Jesus and offer others a Savior they would like to
follow and emulate…or we totally negate our Christian witness.
I
recently read an opinion editorial about political candidates and how
people on both sides call them names and speak of them in a disparaging
and derogatory manner. The suggestion was made that when we are told by
the Chevy salesmen how bad the Fords are (or vice versa), we often are
left feeling badly about both – and often seek to either buy something
altogether different…or go home empty-handed. If we put this in a
Christian perspective, when we talk unkindly to someone – or about them –
we give others the impression that there is an ugly side to serving
Jesus. And sometimes, this might be enough to turn these people away
forever…to steer them in the direction of another “god” or idol - or
toward the devil himself.
Surely this is not what we want. I
know it is definitely not what Jesus wants! We simply MUST start
guarding our thoughts, words and actions. We must focus on Jesus to the
point that we automatically run everything by Him before we speak or
act. We must become so in tune with Jesus - and innately cautious -
that it is virtually impossible to stir up trouble or embarrassment as
His representatives. And we have to start now.
Let’s start by
praying for all people involved in the terrible tragedies of recent days
across our nation. Let’s talk to God about how we characterize
others…the language we use as we speak of them to others – and the
attitude we convey. Let’s ask Him to guard our hearts – and our words
and deeds – and guide us as His disciples, so that we leave others
saying, “I want to serve Jesus, too!”
Jesus was bruised, beaten,
spit upon – and crucified. Yet His words were always kind and
soothing. He never spoke harshly to others…so why on earth should we?
©2016 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label hurtful words and actions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hurtful words and actions. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for June 11, 2013
1 Peter 3:10
Summing up: Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, be humble. That goes for all of you, no exceptions. No retaliation. No sharp-tongued sarcasm. Instead, bless—that’s your job, to bless. You’ll be a blessing and also get a blessing.
Whoever wants to embrace life
and see the day fill up with good,
Here’s what you do:
Say nothing evil or hurtful;
Snub evil and cultivate good;
run after peace for all you’re worth.
God looks on all this with approval,
listening and responding well to what he’s asked;
But he turns his back
on those who do evil things.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
You never know what children – or old people – will say! My Mam-ma Polly, who weighed in at a petite less-than-120 pounds, had a fixation with the weight of other people… and she often spoke about it! I will never forget taking her to a birthday luncheon. The grandson of one of her dear friends hugged her and paid her a big compliment about how pretty she looked…and she replied, “Well, I haven’t seen you since you got so fat!” I wanted the floor to swallow me! This came so naturally to my grandmother that she didn’t even blink. And because she was almost 100 years old, she was forgiven… excused…and people chalked such comments up to her age and secretly assumed that perhaps she was becoming a little senile. This was not the case… my grandmother remained sharp as a tack to virtually her dying day! Anyone who really knew my grandmother knew that she always spoke her mind… although this certainly did not improve with age!
I do not mean to belittle my grandmother – or to criticize her. She was who she was… and she was a blessing to more people that we could begin to count. And that’s my point… any one of us can be guilty of this type of behavior at any moment! I wonder… how many of us are speaking without thinking on a daily basis. How often do we make a critical or snarky comment – maybe in an attempt to be funny – with little to no regard for how these words will affect the other guy? When was the last time you stopped yourself from making a remark… realizing that it might not be perceived the way you intended – or that it could be downright hurtful to others?
We have all said or done something that was unkind – or even misinterpreted – then felt unsettled because of it for hours/days/weeks. This is not a pleasant feeling and certainly doesn’t leave us operating in peace and calm. And if we have said or done something that really caused a stir, the ramifications can create turmoil, hurt, and disappointment for a long time… with the potential for permanent damage.
This is not what God wants for us… and He offers us a way out! Some of us need to tattoo these scripture verses to our forearm, tape them to the bathroom mirror, and post them on our refrigerator! “Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, be humble. That goes for all of you, no exceptions. No retaliation. No sharp-tongued sarcasm. Instead, bless—that’s your job, to bless. Say nothing evil or hurtful, snub evil and cultivate good; run after peace for all you’re worth.” If we will just remember this… and ask God to show us how to bless others, we can “see the day fill up with good.”
I don’t know about you, but I want to fill up my days with peace and contentment in God’s blessings. Regardless of my age, I must be on guard to make sure that my words and actions please God at every turn… or I can expect some times of incredible turmoil and discord. Everyone has a bad moment – or even a bad day – at some point. But we can greatly reduce the instances of this if we will remain aware of our behavior – and in touch with God. He will help us to guard our comments and behaviors… He will help us to operate in blessings rather than unkindness… and we will be blessed – and peaceful in the bargain. Where do you fit in to this picture? How will you fill up this day with good?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Summing up: Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, be humble. That goes for all of you, no exceptions. No retaliation. No sharp-tongued sarcasm. Instead, bless—that’s your job, to bless. You’ll be a blessing and also get a blessing.
Whoever wants to embrace life
and see the day fill up with good,
Here’s what you do:
Say nothing evil or hurtful;
Snub evil and cultivate good;
run after peace for all you’re worth.
God looks on all this with approval,
listening and responding well to what he’s asked;
But he turns his back
on those who do evil things.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
You never know what children – or old people – will say! My Mam-ma Polly, who weighed in at a petite less-than-120 pounds, had a fixation with the weight of other people… and she often spoke about it! I will never forget taking her to a birthday luncheon. The grandson of one of her dear friends hugged her and paid her a big compliment about how pretty she looked…and she replied, “Well, I haven’t seen you since you got so fat!” I wanted the floor to swallow me! This came so naturally to my grandmother that she didn’t even blink. And because she was almost 100 years old, she was forgiven… excused…and people chalked such comments up to her age and secretly assumed that perhaps she was becoming a little senile. This was not the case… my grandmother remained sharp as a tack to virtually her dying day! Anyone who really knew my grandmother knew that she always spoke her mind… although this certainly did not improve with age!
I do not mean to belittle my grandmother – or to criticize her. She was who she was… and she was a blessing to more people that we could begin to count. And that’s my point… any one of us can be guilty of this type of behavior at any moment! I wonder… how many of us are speaking without thinking on a daily basis. How often do we make a critical or snarky comment – maybe in an attempt to be funny – with little to no regard for how these words will affect the other guy? When was the last time you stopped yourself from making a remark… realizing that it might not be perceived the way you intended – or that it could be downright hurtful to others?
We have all said or done something that was unkind – or even misinterpreted – then felt unsettled because of it for hours/days/weeks. This is not a pleasant feeling and certainly doesn’t leave us operating in peace and calm. And if we have said or done something that really caused a stir, the ramifications can create turmoil, hurt, and disappointment for a long time… with the potential for permanent damage.
This is not what God wants for us… and He offers us a way out! Some of us need to tattoo these scripture verses to our forearm, tape them to the bathroom mirror, and post them on our refrigerator! “Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, be humble. That goes for all of you, no exceptions. No retaliation. No sharp-tongued sarcasm. Instead, bless—that’s your job, to bless. Say nothing evil or hurtful, snub evil and cultivate good; run after peace for all you’re worth.” If we will just remember this… and ask God to show us how to bless others, we can “see the day fill up with good.”
I don’t know about you, but I want to fill up my days with peace and contentment in God’s blessings. Regardless of my age, I must be on guard to make sure that my words and actions please God at every turn… or I can expect some times of incredible turmoil and discord. Everyone has a bad moment – or even a bad day – at some point. But we can greatly reduce the instances of this if we will remain aware of our behavior – and in touch with God. He will help us to guard our comments and behaviors… He will help us to operate in blessings rather than unkindness… and we will be blessed – and peaceful in the bargain. Where do you fit in to this picture? How will you fill up this day with good?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)