1 Corinthians 10:24
Don’t think only of yourself. Try to think of the other fellow, too, and what is best for him.
The
Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by
permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois
60188. All rights reserved.
I recently read on
Facebook about a woman who overheard fellow students at a class reunion
discussing her weight gain. They had no clue what “life” had dealt
her…the hardships, health issues and heartaches that had led to this
change in her appearance. They didn’t see her…they saw her size – and judged her accordingly. When
a friend became engaged a year or so after his wife died suddenly, the mother of the new bride told me...“Jack* says
he never knew what love was until he met my daughter.” This man's first
wife had been my friend. This ill-spoken statement was probably not
meant to disrespect her…but it truly was hurtful. More than once in my adult
life, someone has reminded me that I am not a mother…in the context of
“you could not possibly understand [because you have not physically
given birth to a child].” Greg and I were childless by choice when I
became unable to bear children in my late 20s. Never in a million years
did we think we would be so personally involved in the lives of babies
and small children - especially in our retirement years. But this has
indeed been the case, and we love our little ones dearly. So when these
remarks were made, they truly stung. While I have forgiven those who
spoke them…they left a lasting imprint on my heart.
I get
it…people often say to someone, “Until you have children of your own,
you will never understand XYZ.” Being intimately involved with little
ones on a regular basis does give one insights and empathy that only
come from personal experience. But you don’t have to literally be a
mother or father to understand these feelings. And because of my own
experiences, I will never utter this statement to someone else.
It's human nature to whisper and say, "The years have not been kind
to him/her" or to say something in the joy/heat of the moment that can
potentially insult or injure another. But God wants us to think before
we speak…to ask Him to guide our thoughts and words…to carefully
consider what we are about to say or do – and how it will affect
others. The pervading question we should answer is whether what we are
about to express will make others look at us as Disciples of Christ and
say, “I want to serve Him for myself!” If the answer is negative, it’s
probably better to either rephrase our sentiments…or to keep our mouths
shut!
When you dare to speak ill of our President and other
political leaders, consider that there may be those in your presence who
do not share your feelings. If you criticize or disparage people of
different races, ethnicities, or members of the LGBTQ community,
remember that there may be people listening who are either a part of
that group – or know and love someone who is. When you condemn the
parent in the check-out line or a public venue with screaming kids, you
are speaking without knowledge of his/her back story – and possibly
making an unfair judgment. When you sneer at another person’s
appearance…dress, body art, hair color, size and more…you are saying,
“You are less than...” and giving them the impression that God could
never love someone like them. When you deride people whose religious
beliefs are different from yours, you are widening the chasm between us
and them…and making the case for Christ even more unappealing to them.
So
what is one to do? Are we never to have opinions? Absolutely not!
But we must consider at every turn what Jesus would say and do. How
would He react to these people and situations? We must make
every effort to show His grace, mercy, love and acceptance to
others…even those who spout opinions willy-nilly with little to no
regard for the other guy’s feelings!
I’ll admit…I have a hard
time with this sometimes. But the only opinion that truly matters is
God’s…and I consider it a great lesson in faith-building to stop, look
and listen to Him before I act or speak. I highly recommend that we all
take a long hard look at our faith walk…that we trade insults for
intentional discipleship…and that we pay closer attention to what we say
and do as Christ’s representatives. In doing this, we become the
people that God has called us to be. We will all be better for it…and
Jesus Christ will be glorified. Isn’t that the point?
©2015 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label speaking before thinking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label speaking before thinking. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for June 27, 2013
Hebrews 12:14-17
Work at getting along with each other and with God. Otherwise you’ll never get so much as a glimpse of God. Make sure no one gets left out of God’s generosity. Keep a sharp eye out for weeds of bitter discontent. A thistle or two gone to seed can ruin a whole garden in no time. Watch out for the Esau syndrome: trading away God’s lifelong gift in order to satisfy a short-term appetite. You well know how Esau later regretted that impulsive act and wanted God’s blessing—but by then it was too late, tears or no tears.
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.
Regardless of how you feel about the Paula Deen debacle, I think we can all agree that hers is a perfect example of how even a couple of ill-chosen words can have powerful – even permanent – ramifications. A snide remark, criticism, off-color joke, or disagreement with another may not cost you national endorsements or ruin your business… but these actions can certainly affect your reputation, your personal relationships – and possibly your bond with God.
The lesson for all of us is to guard not only what we say… but also our heart. It’s sort of the “garbage in – garbage out” theory. Here’s a good example… when I was in junior high, one of my teachers told a joke about a little girl who was talking to her mother about a movie titled “Damn Yankees.” Her mother said, “You cannot SAY that word!” The little girl replied, “Oops… I’m sorry… Darn Yankees!” We laughed, because in the late 1960s, people really couldn’t/didn’t use that word – or many others. It was considered impolite, improper, and in the eyes of some… sinful.
Today, I am hearing not only that word, but also words and distasteful phrases - like the LORD’s name taken in vain - on cable television programs, along with other off-color terms, as if they were regular table conversation. I’m not talking HBO or Showtime… I’m talking Bravo, E, and other channels that are available on satellite and cable TV packages… programs that run all hours of the night and day that any young child could view with the click of a remote control. And the saddest part of this is that we have become so accustomed to hearing these words that we don’t even notice… much less change the channel! This doesn’t even take into account the words and phrases that are spoken on our mainstream channels and/or “bleeped”…even though most of us know what is being said!
My point is that hearing these words in such common, public settings makes them too familiar… and opens the door for them to become part of our everyday vernacular. We see people arguing, screaming, throwing things and getting into brawls on “reality” TV shows and even daytime television, and we grow accustomed to believing that this is how “real” people behave. We lose our sense of self-control… our ability to regulate our words, deeds – and thoughts. And we allow these “weeds” to take root in our lives with little to no thought for the consequences.
My husband and I have been reading a book about the events that led to the beginning of the Civil War, titled 1861. In more than one instance, we have learned of the actions of a single person that completely changed the course of events. The stories of these individuals attest to the power of one person… both positively and negatively. Creating an atmosphere of calm and harmony begins with each of us. Finding God’s peace starts at home… in our own hearts.
Examine your daily activities and encounters. Look for areas where you are allowing “weeds” into the “garden” of your life. Ask God to show you how you are, at the very least, setting yourself up to satisfy short-term appetites (fitting in by telling distasteful jokes… letting others know how you really feel at the expense of their feelings – and your own dignity…peppering your language with colorful expletives…being critical in an effort to appear more intelligent or superior). Allow God to reveal these “weeds” to you and help you to eradicate them.
Make it your primary goal to stay in a right relationship with God… to always check with Him before speaking or acting… to become so attuned to His ways that even when you start to say or do something unkind or inappropriate… you check yourself and change course! The more this happens, the more you will recognize God working in and through you… and the more you will realize His blessings in your everyday living. As we have seen with Paula Deen, it’s very hard to take back what has been said or done. In other words, it only takes a “weed” or two to really mess up the “garden” of your life. Stay close to God and make sure yours is “weed free” at all times!
©2013 Debbie Robus
Work at getting along with each other and with God. Otherwise you’ll never get so much as a glimpse of God. Make sure no one gets left out of God’s generosity. Keep a sharp eye out for weeds of bitter discontent. A thistle or two gone to seed can ruin a whole garden in no time. Watch out for the Esau syndrome: trading away God’s lifelong gift in order to satisfy a short-term appetite. You well know how Esau later regretted that impulsive act and wanted God’s blessing—but by then it was too late, tears or no tears.
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.
Regardless of how you feel about the Paula Deen debacle, I think we can all agree that hers is a perfect example of how even a couple of ill-chosen words can have powerful – even permanent – ramifications. A snide remark, criticism, off-color joke, or disagreement with another may not cost you national endorsements or ruin your business… but these actions can certainly affect your reputation, your personal relationships – and possibly your bond with God.
The lesson for all of us is to guard not only what we say… but also our heart. It’s sort of the “garbage in – garbage out” theory. Here’s a good example… when I was in junior high, one of my teachers told a joke about a little girl who was talking to her mother about a movie titled “Damn Yankees.” Her mother said, “You cannot SAY that word!” The little girl replied, “Oops… I’m sorry… Darn Yankees!” We laughed, because in the late 1960s, people really couldn’t/didn’t use that word – or many others. It was considered impolite, improper, and in the eyes of some… sinful.
Today, I am hearing not only that word, but also words and distasteful phrases - like the LORD’s name taken in vain - on cable television programs, along with other off-color terms, as if they were regular table conversation. I’m not talking HBO or Showtime… I’m talking Bravo, E, and other channels that are available on satellite and cable TV packages… programs that run all hours of the night and day that any young child could view with the click of a remote control. And the saddest part of this is that we have become so accustomed to hearing these words that we don’t even notice… much less change the channel! This doesn’t even take into account the words and phrases that are spoken on our mainstream channels and/or “bleeped”…even though most of us know what is being said!
My point is that hearing these words in such common, public settings makes them too familiar… and opens the door for them to become part of our everyday vernacular. We see people arguing, screaming, throwing things and getting into brawls on “reality” TV shows and even daytime television, and we grow accustomed to believing that this is how “real” people behave. We lose our sense of self-control… our ability to regulate our words, deeds – and thoughts. And we allow these “weeds” to take root in our lives with little to no thought for the consequences.
My husband and I have been reading a book about the events that led to the beginning of the Civil War, titled 1861. In more than one instance, we have learned of the actions of a single person that completely changed the course of events. The stories of these individuals attest to the power of one person… both positively and negatively. Creating an atmosphere of calm and harmony begins with each of us. Finding God’s peace starts at home… in our own hearts.
Examine your daily activities and encounters. Look for areas where you are allowing “weeds” into the “garden” of your life. Ask God to show you how you are, at the very least, setting yourself up to satisfy short-term appetites (fitting in by telling distasteful jokes… letting others know how you really feel at the expense of their feelings – and your own dignity…peppering your language with colorful expletives…being critical in an effort to appear more intelligent or superior). Allow God to reveal these “weeds” to you and help you to eradicate them.
Make it your primary goal to stay in a right relationship with God… to always check with Him before speaking or acting… to become so attuned to His ways that even when you start to say or do something unkind or inappropriate… you check yourself and change course! The more this happens, the more you will recognize God working in and through you… and the more you will realize His blessings in your everyday living. As we have seen with Paula Deen, it’s very hard to take back what has been said or done. In other words, it only takes a “weed” or two to really mess up the “garden” of your life. Stay close to God and make sure yours is “weed free” at all times!
©2013 Debbie Robus
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