Go to the closet and get a wire clothes hanger. Now put a few bends in it with your hands. Now straighten it out to what it looked like when you pulled it from the closet. You'll never get it perfect (although if I know James he will try it just to prove me wrong). And the more you bend it, the harder it is to get it even close.
Our words are the same. When we speak in anger or spread gossip it's just like bending the hanger. And the more anger there is, or the more hurtful the gossip, the harder we have to work to try to make things right. And even then the relationship is never the same as it was before.
You can't put the hanger back because your alter the molecular bonds in the metal when you bend it. Hurtful speech also alters bonds, and in some ways, on a molecular level.
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Favoritism
Why is it that so many preachers today continually mention the names of past "famous" preachers but rarely mention Elders or members of the congregation? The accolades usually start like this, "The great Gospel preacher, Brother F.E. Hardemann once said...."
But what does the Bible say about holding certain people in higher regard than others?
James 2:1-4 "My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism. For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, "You sit here in a good place," and you say to the poor man, "You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool," have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives?"
Where is the passage that says we are to honor preachers? And yet we see the following in I Tim 5:17:
"Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching."
What about the elders who don't work hard at teaching and preaching? Well that's a topic for another post.
But what does the Bible say about holding certain people in higher regard than others?
James 2:1-4 "My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism. For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, "You sit here in a good place," and you say to the poor man, "You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool," have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives?"
Where is the passage that says we are to honor preachers? And yet we see the following in I Tim 5:17:
"Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching."
What about the elders who don't work hard at teaching and preaching? Well that's a topic for another post.
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Proverbs 10:18,19
"He who conceals hatred has lying lips, And he who spreads slander is a fool. When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable, But he who restrains his lips is wise."
Why is it foolish to spread slander? Well I think in the long run it is more damaging to the slanderer than the one being slandered. The slanderer knows in his or her heart that they are doing wrong. And this weighs on the conscience and deep down inside they feel bad about themselves.
Additionally people will distance themselves from the slanderer. They know that they might one day be the focus of that persons poisonous tongue. This doesn't mean that they physically will avoid them - but they will emotionally distance themselves as a means of protection. This means that the slanderer ends up with people around them who are distant and uninvolved.
Another message we can gain from this passage is that it's sometimes better to keep our mouths shut or what we are saying to a minimum. In emotionally charged situations we often say too much and just make things worse or have to apologize for something we shouldn't have said. Not only that, we don't learn much when we are talking - only when we are listening.
Why is it foolish to spread slander? Well I think in the long run it is more damaging to the slanderer than the one being slandered. The slanderer knows in his or her heart that they are doing wrong. And this weighs on the conscience and deep down inside they feel bad about themselves.
Additionally people will distance themselves from the slanderer. They know that they might one day be the focus of that persons poisonous tongue. This doesn't mean that they physically will avoid them - but they will emotionally distance themselves as a means of protection. This means that the slanderer ends up with people around them who are distant and uninvolved.
Another message we can gain from this passage is that it's sometimes better to keep our mouths shut or what we are saying to a minimum. In emotionally charged situations we often say too much and just make things worse or have to apologize for something we shouldn't have said. Not only that, we don't learn much when we are talking - only when we are listening.
Monday, August 6, 2012
Lessons From Proverbs
I've been reading Proverbs lately. It's amazing how many verses deal with our words and what we say.
Prov 13:3 says, "The one who guards his mouth preserves his life; The one who opens wide his lips comes to ruin."
Guarding our mouths means watching what we say and how we say it.
1. Before you say something, take a moment to think about what you are going to say and why.
2. Many people hide harsh/blunt words behind the excuse that they are just speaking the truth. Our speech should always be seasoned with grace.
3. Virtually every Christian will say that gossip is a sin and they can recognize it in others - but gossipers never believe they are gossiping - it's always other people. Gossipers rationalize their hurtful talk in one way or another.
4. Guarding your mouth also means that you don't always have to keep adding to a fight. Most of the time it's just better to stop talking. Nothing was ever made better by retaliating.
The second half of the verse gives us our motivation. The ruin may very well be broken relationships, lost jobs, and lost friends. Certainly the ruin will be the loss of Heaven.
As we go through the week let's all be sure to guard our mouths - because it will preserve our lives.
Pops
Prov 13:3 says, "The one who guards his mouth preserves his life; The one who opens wide his lips comes to ruin."
Guarding our mouths means watching what we say and how we say it.
1. Before you say something, take a moment to think about what you are going to say and why.
2. Many people hide harsh/blunt words behind the excuse that they are just speaking the truth. Our speech should always be seasoned with grace.
3. Virtually every Christian will say that gossip is a sin and they can recognize it in others - but gossipers never believe they are gossiping - it's always other people. Gossipers rationalize their hurtful talk in one way or another.
4. Guarding your mouth also means that you don't always have to keep adding to a fight. Most of the time it's just better to stop talking. Nothing was ever made better by retaliating.
The second half of the verse gives us our motivation. The ruin may very well be broken relationships, lost jobs, and lost friends. Certainly the ruin will be the loss of Heaven.
As we go through the week let's all be sure to guard our mouths - because it will preserve our lives.
Pops
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