Now, you have read this thinking, where is he going with this? Well, here we go. I am going to write the same exact thing, but with a few differences and I want you to see if you can - A: Catch them and B: See a change in your attitude as you read about what we are going to do on our trip!
So, It's about time. Two friends (Yah, right) about to go on the sucky trip that you scheduled! You and I have decided to go on this trip together because I had nothing better to do, and I am going to tell you all about the people that I have in my life. All the crazy people that SAY they love me and want nothing to do with me. I am going to explain to you how I have the most Crabby wife in the world and how I would absolutely drive off a cliff sometimes with her in the passenger seat. I want you to know about my kids, who on a daily basis, LIE TO ME, all three of them and the fourth child that was a mistake and we just wish it wouldn't have happened. I am going to tell you all about my stupid pastor and how him coming to our church has changed the entire structure of our church and he never even uses a bible. I am going to tell you all about the Men's bible study we have and how it is filled with nothing but liars and men who just nag about the wives. I am going to give you examples of how my life has been changed by Jesus, but he never seems to show up when I need him. I want to lay everything on the line and share a half-hearted story of the gospel to you...maybe leaving out a few important details, but who cares. I am going to tell you all these things with a smiling (only thinking about who I can talk to about you and that stupid mole on the side of your face, or that THICK UNIBROW...HeHe) and making sure that you don't know what is said about you behind your back and then I am going to ask about your life HOPING you won't say anything and I promise to wonder what the score is on the latest Auburn/Alabama games. I am going to ask you Hurtful questions in hope that you would just SHUTUP ALREADY and that our friendship will just die and go away. Who needs friends anyway...
Now, after reading the second way that I wrote the similar stories, I want you to ask yourself which one you would want to read and also which one are you saying. How many times have you DOGGED out the cashier at the grocery store because they couldn't check you out fast enough? How many times have you talked HORRIBLY about the people who are your friends, just because it might make a good story to the person you are talking to. What about this, How many times have you cussed out the guy who just cut you off in traffic. How many times have you left a restaurant talking about how that server sucked and how you wish you would have never come there?
I ask you these questions to ask you just one:
How many times have you gone somewhere or seen someone and left them in a better place than when you first saw them?
The bible calls us to Love our neighbor, not talk about them crabbily when we leave or to badmouth them because they don't like the same football team as you! (War Eagle BTW)
The Bible says a lot about what we say, and I just want to show you a couple scriptures on this and I will leave you with a video from one of my favorite people - The Skit Guys -
Let's start by analyzing this scripture - Matthew 12:36 says -
"I tell you, on the day of Judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak."
WOW - every careless word - that's going to take a long time, don't you think. I mean I just called the guy at the grocery store -STUPID. I called the Homeless guy on the street - LAZY AND RIDICULOUS...I mean the Mom at the store that couldn't control her kids, CAN YOU BELIEVE HER? And I just had to pick up milk....I have passed a judgment on these people that they don't deserve...BUT remember that question that I asked earlier? Here it is again...
How many times have you gone somewhere or seen someone and left them in a better place than when you first saw them?
That guy at the grocery store has been teased his whole life for being overweight and his parents called him STUPID when he was a kid....The homeless guy was in the Military fighting for our freedom to go to church, and when he came home he suffered from PTSD and lost his wife and house and everything he called LIFE....and the Mom...who could forget those kids...She was a SINGLE mom who just lost her husband in a fatal car accident...and yet we had to ask ourselves...Can you believe her?
James 3:9 says - "With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God's likeness."
Now that's and interesting way to put it, don't you think? If we use our tongue to praise our God and then we talk bad about the people around us or cuss someone out or put someone down, are we not truly doing the same to our God?
My point is in all of this is that there is always someone listening, always someone around to see or hear what you have to say and if you claim to live for the kingdom of God, then maybe it's time our talk and walk actually represented what Christ would have us do. Enjoy the video highlighting the same things! Be blessed and Jesus loves you and so do I!
