MOUTHIN' OFF

This is not a news flash...but PEOPLE REALLY HURT EACH OTHER WITH THEIR WORDS. And it's not an occassional thing. Jeremiah put it this way in Chapter 9 verse 8: With his mouth one speaks peace to his neighbor. But inwardly he sets an ambush for him. The expressions "two faced" and "fork tongued" are a few of the ways it's been described. What a shame that the church is just as guilty. In fact, it's worse in church because we should know better. There was a song in the sixties called "Backstabbers." Part of the lyric went like this: They smile in your face, all the while they want to take your place. I think it starts with the way we look at one another. If we value the person we tend to watch what we say. If we devalue or look down on the person we use less care with our words. And the question I have to ask myself is "Who am I to devalue ANYONE?" There should be no "in crowd". There should be no caste system. We are one in Christ and my goal has to be to value everyone—and that begins with the way I address them when I'm in their presence and when I'm not. James warns of the dangers of the tongue, yet leaders routinely use it to denigrate others and in so doing set a bad example. I know I have to do better. I know that I must pray with David in Psalm 39...I will guard my ways that I may not sin with my tongue...