Have You Ever........?

Have you ever been around someone that was simply rude and/or hateful and needed to be put in their place...so you did?

Have you ever had to sit and listen to someone who was obviously ignorant going on and on, wrongly ranting about something and needing to be corrected...so you did?

Have you ever given your "opinion" or "advice" to someone because they "needed to hear it?"

Have you ever sat listening to someone talk about their goals and dreams, thinking to yourself "they need a reality check"...so you gave it to them?

Ummmm..... I would never speak to someone like that! That may be a little fib. OK - a BIG fib. I'm sure I have. In fact, I know I have! To be honest with you, I have spoken to others at times with the attitude of: Well they deserved it; they had it coming; I'm not putting up with...! Am I the only person who has been guilty of this?

James 1:19 says " My dear brothers
  and sisters take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow  to anger."

James 3:4-5 says " A small rudder makes a huge ship turn..In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes a grand speech. But a tiny spark can set a great forest fire."

Ephesians 4:29 says "When you talk, do not say harmful things, but say what people need - words that will help others become stronger."

I want to challenge you, just as I am challenging myself, the next time we find ourselves in a situation with another person who may be rude, hateful, hurtful, arrogant or just down-right wrong....STOP and ask yourself, "Will what I'm about to say be helpful or harmful? Will it make them stronger? Will they feel God's love and grace through my words?"

Words are said to be food for the soul. If you had food and saw someone starving, would you not feed them? Of course you would. Then we should do the same for their hearts as well.
"Do not withhold encouragement from the discouraged. Do not keep affirmation from the beaten down. Speak words that make people stronger. Believe in them as God has believed in you." ~A love worth living.

If you have accepted Christ in your heart, then you are held to a higher standard because you have accepted Gods gift of Grace. One would think that with that "higher standard" we have been given permission to "speak our minds, to correct those who need correcting, to stand up for ourselves, to put another in their place if they need it." I believe that the higher standard and authority that has been given to us by God's gift of Grace is to show and speak love, to show and speak forgiveness, and to show and speak grace to others as we have also been shown by our Heavenly Father.

Take a moment today to read Proverbs 4:1-27.

Let's all take time to pray today about our words. That everything that comes from our mouth be filled with His Love, Wisdom, Encouragement and Strength.