The most powerful weapon
I was talking to the McDonough Methodist Academy students today in chapel and shared a verse of scripture from Ephesians 4:29. Go a head and look it up … it will do you good to open your Bible !
Paul is sharing a word about a word. I asked the children to help me and I told them that when I said a certain word they were to catch that word and put it back in my mouth. I yelled “CHRISTMAS!” and said get it. Several waved their hands in the air and others got excited and yelled “CHRISTMAS!” as well. So now more words were in the air. Despite their attempts they could not catch the word or put it back into my mouth. It had already made it around the room.
My point being (and I hope they got it ) was that we must be so careful because our mouths are powerful weapons (for good or bad). Paul says do not let anything mean, bad, ugly, hateful, spiteful, slanderous, bitter and on and on … come out of your mouth. As Christ followers we are to have mouths used for positive exchange … for that which builds up the body, the church, the Kingdom of God.
I told the children that the younger they learn to let their words from their mouths build up instead of tear down the better life will be and God will be so pleased. It is hard for us older “kids” to change and put a guard on our mouth. We live in a time that many people feel they have a right to tear anyone down, say anything they want and they do it with a vengeance. They cross the line of freedom of speech and destroy a life before one can imagine it.
It isn’t about freedom of speech or pointing out anothers faults … it is about love for each other, it is about being Christian and asking ourselves what should I say in this situation, in this discusssion, in this moment; that will build up and not tear down. We are called to live above the norm to live the extra ordinarary life for Jesus Christ.
Now if you excuse me I have to work on my mouth … I hate it when my blogs convict me.
Later