This last weekend at my Grandpa's cabin we had an amazing time. I went for walks with different family members, taking the time to catch up with everyone. One day my mom had a chipmunk run right next to her foot, only a inch or two away, not afraid of us at all! It was a little moment but it was pretty cool.
I had so much time with my family. I spent time with my siblings and cousins playing cards and talking into the night. Laughed at my nieces and nephew and my cousin's kid as they ran all over the property, in and out of the tree house and played by the hour on the swing set. We spent hours out on the lake, taking kids on canoe and paddleboat rides or going out ourselves, floating in innertubes and swimming around. I even learned how to kayak and paddleboard last weekend!
I also had lots of interesting conversations. One of those conversations, with my aunt, got me thinking and I knew that it would be something I wanted to talk about on here. We were talking about sin. I said that saying something mean to someone isn't any worse then saying it in your head. I mean sin is sin right? So why does it matter if you say it in your head or directly to someone?
My aunt corrected me though. She said that the sin is the same but the consequences are different. And I'm partially right; to God sin is sin and one is not worse or better then another. However, when you say something mean in your head it stays between you and God. When you say something mean to another person you incur consequences that weren't there before. Now you haven't just sinned against God, you've hurt someone else.
When you speak harshly to someone you will still need to repent and ask God's forgiveness. You'll also to need to repair the damage you've done with the other person. Think about it for a second. If you get in a fight with a friend and they yell at you, then there's a break in the relationship. You may forgive them but it takes some time for the hurt to recede so the damage can be repaired.
My aunt wasn't saying that you should make it a habit to talk badly about people in your head. She was saying to guard your tongue.
Proverbs 21:23
"Those who guards their mouths and their tongues keep themselves from calamity."
When we have a whole bunch of family together for a week we often lose sleep. And we're out in the sun a lot, quickly losing our energy. We're not always eating right so soon we're sleep deprived, hungry and exhausted. It's a recipe for quick tempers and sharp words. This is when we really need this reminder and what prompted our conversation.
Maybe you have time with family coming up. Or a difficult coworker who grates on your nerves. Whatever your situation I urge you to keep my aunt's wisdom in the forefront of your mind. It's better to never think or say things against people at all. But we're human and we're all going to mess up. Next time you do though take my aunt's and the Bible's advice and think before you speak. You'll save yourself, and the other person, a lot of pain in the end.
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