Soundness of Speech
Today we are so often under the microscope. People know that you are a Christian so they watch your every move, they want to see you mess up so they can prove that we are a fraud. This is nothing new. This has been going on for all time.
When Things are Better Not Said
OH MY GOODNESS I CANT BELIEVE SHE…….. I’m going to give him a piece of my mind…… Just wait until I run into them again…. You are a…..You always……
You know these conversations, you know what starts them and where they lead. When someone hurts you you automatically go into defense mode and forget about turning the other cheak.
It is true that there are times when something needs to be said to help lift another Christian brother out of sin and set them on the right path. So how do we know when it is appropriate?
Just Keep Your Mouth Shut
Recently, there was a Twitter post about me with some misleading information. I’m not mad at the girl who did it–I can definitely see how the situation could be misconstrued–but I’m asking now that you monitor what you’re posting. You might have misread the information, which can be embarrassing for you and for others involved, but it’s also really just not your business. I can understand being excited about something you think has happened, and I can see how you might want to share that with everyone. But please just don’t. The people involved probably want to share whatever information that was in their own time and way, and they probably don’t want everyone talking about them.
Honor Your Father and Mother
Exodus 20:12: Honor your father and mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.
Ephesians 6:1-3 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ” Honor your father and mother” which is the first commandment with a promise. That is might go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth”
Lessons From a Couch Cover
Today, I pulled a couch cover off a couch to shake out all the dirt and nonsense that had collected, and then I understood why the couch had a cover on it. That was an ugly couch. I mean, it was lurid.
But then I got to thinking: Don’t we all have couch moments, that we cover up and try to hide? We all have ugly things about our personality, or think ugly things, but we try to cover them up. Here a common thing: “No offense, but….” I know I’ve said that a lot. “No offense, but I really don’t like so-and-so,” or, “No offense, but it really annoys me when you do such-and-such.” I try to cover up my harsh words or my judgement by saying “No offense,” but I only say that because I know I’m going to offend someone.
But maybe, instead of trying to use a couch cover, we could just get a whole new couch, a pretty one.
Or, to end this metaphor, instead of trying to use euphemisms, we could just change our way of thinking to something nice.