After the service
an evangelist shook hands with those that had come to hear him preach. Many
just said simple platitudes and shallow compliments, but one guy told him
exactly what he had done wrong, where he had misspoke and that he had gone
overtime. The guy went on to explain that he only said such things because God
had given him this gift of speaking his mind. He expounded on his statement by
sharing that he used his gift wherever he could – criticizing, commenting, and
complaining about things. The evangelist said the reality was that the guy had
the gift of jerk and that it wasn’t God-given.
Christians can
say the most hurtful things by allowing corrupt (rotten) communication spew
from their mouths. We may justify it by saying that we have the right to say it,
but does that make it right? At times, the gift of jerk comes out of all of us.
Its human nature
to pass the blame. The attitude of, I can
say what I want and if you have a problem with it, it’s your problem. When
someone makes a joke of your disability, weight, accent, heritage, or whatever,
learn to laugh. Please realize that mocking is not the same as laughing
with someone.
In America we may
have the right to say what we want, but it isn’t always right. God is the
higher authority. I need to be careful to say what’s right rather than exercise
my gift of jerk.
“Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your
mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister
grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are
sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger,
and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be
ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for
Christ's sake hath forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:29-32.
© copyright 2016
Kevin T Boekhoff
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