Getting Sarcastic With God? Bad Plan.

Oct. 30 – Smarting Off To God

You would think people would be smart enough to know better.  God is powerful enough to make you so He’s powerful enough to “smite” you….But not Cain.  Not only did he kill his brother (REALLY BIG mistake #1), but afterward, he thought he would toss some attitude God’s way (mistake #2).

Here’s the brief exchange:
Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”
“I don’t know,” he replied.  “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

That’s it.  But that’s enough.  Yesterday, we talked mainly about sarcasm with friends but when it comes to sarcasm with God or -to bring it into the human realm – sarcasm with people in authority, you’re crossing another line.  People in authority, even the ones you may not agree with or get along with, still deserve to be treated with respect.  That means treating them as a person of worth and recognizing the authority they have been given.  One of the most direct references to this concept is found in Romans 13.  Here’s the key verse:  “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.”  And even Jesus submitted himself to and acknowledged the rule of the day, as long as the earthly laws did not conflict with furthering the kingdom of God.  Jesus says to give to Caesar the money that is his and to God the things that are His.  (Matthew 22:21) and He does pay the required temple tax (Matthew 17:27).  Even while His trial was in process, He never direspected the ruler He was standing in front of.

So often, when someone in authority asks us to do something we don’t want to do or asks us a question we don’t want to answer (what happened to Cain), we come back with a smart-aleck remark.  Instead of saying the first thing that comes to mind, getting defensive, and acting like Cain, take a cue from Jesus here.  It’s better to say nothing than to say something that’s going to be disrespectful.  Even telling the person that you don’t want to answer at that moment because you’re too upset or because you’re afraid of what you might say will earn you a lot more respect in the long run.  Consider Psalm 141:3 which says, “Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips.”  If this kind of mouthing off is something your struggle with, consider praying that verse for yourself.

What To Do About Sarcasm

Oct 29 – Just Kidding?

Ephesians 4:29 is one of those verses that always gets me.  “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”  What?!  Do not let ANY unwholesome talk come out of your mouths?  Or what about a few verses later when it says, “Nor should there be oscenity, foolish talk, or coarse joking…”  Holy cow!  If you combine all of those things, that makes speech one very difficult thing to control.

I heard a quote once that said, “In every word of sarcasm, there’s a bit of truth.”  That’s the danger in it.  While we may intend for some of the disrespectful or mean words we say to be taken jokingly, oftentimes, the person we speak to will walk away hurt, not because they think we’re completely serious but because maybe we hit on some slkice of truth that really does hurt them.  For me, sarcasm is a weapon.  I use it when I feel backed into a corner or when I’m upset with someone but don’t want to confront the person about it.  In high school, one of my friends used sarcasm so much that I just didn’t want to be around him.  It was impossible to be in a conversation with him without him making you feel bad about yourself for something you did or just feel stupid for something you said.  That was his way of getting attention and making people laugh.  It worked, but it hurt, and it definitely affected our friendship.

Now I am the first to tell you that I am rather senstive to words.  I was raised to value them highly and to be careful when using them, so I admittedly respond more strongly to them than many people do.  That being said though, words really do have power.  I think we tend to forget that, especially in this age of computers and cell phones where we can so easily hide behind a screen when we talk to people.  As you talk to people this week, whether in person, online, or in a text message, focus on that second part of the first verse from today -  use words that are”helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”  It may encourage someone you didn’t even know needed encouraging!

26 Letters Say It All

Oct 11 – Why Write Poetry?

I love words.  I have always loved words.  I love learning about language and thinking about how it’s used and considering how it makes other people feel.  What an incredible gift God gave us when He gave us a way to express ourselves!  I wish I could write for you (and for myself!) some poem in this moment to illustrate it all.  But for me, poetry comes from the heart more than the mind.

Do you ever take the time to write?  Even if you don’t think of yourself as a writer, just to write things down…It is how I think.  It is how I dream.  It is how God whispers to me.  And it is so rarely anything more than conversational, but there it is, me and God, on paper, for the world – or just me – to see.

I love the verse for today – “The right word at the right time is like precious gold set in silver.”  That has been true in my life so many times when God has used His word or used a person in my life to speak words to me that change my mood for the day or change the way I see things.  Similarly, consider that someday when you don’t even know it, you may be used to speak truth or joy into someone else’s life.  Remember the power in your words.  They can kill or heal, break or mend.

Write a psalm today.  Write just a few lines to God expressing how you feel, no matter what that is – excited, depressed, joyful, anxious, or angry.  God receives all our emotions and has given us words with which to share them with Him.  Praise God for this language we share.

Hallway Horrors – A Change in Conversation and Loving Like Jesus

Sept 10 – The Power of Jest

The verse for today is one of my favorites.  I think it came in most handy in high school when I had to work on keeping my conversations positive, and I wish I had had it in middle school when joking quickly turned inappropriate or vulgar.  The magazine gives you part of it but here’s the whole thing:

But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.  Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk, or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.  – Ephesians 5:3-4

Um, how hard is this to do???  “Not…even a hint”?  In today’s world, that’s practically impossible!  That being said though, we are chosen by God to be His holy people.  The word “holy” means “set apart.”  Sure, everyone else at school or on TV might be diving into sexual immorality or making fun of people or bad language but that doesn’t mean that you need to – set yourselves apart for God by living as an example in the way that you talk with your friends.  Take on that challenge to remove all of that kind of language and conversation from your daily life. 

One day this week when you’re hanging out with your friends, I encourage you to stop and listen.  Is the majority of conversation negative?  Vulgar?  Filled with sexual jokes or swearing?  If this is something you feel convicted about (feeling guilty with the desire to change), consider what it would take for you to stop participating in that with your friends.  I’m not asking you to stop talking to them or even to say anything to them about the things they talk about, but take responsibility for you and clean up your act.  Don’t be surprised if people notice and be prepared to share with them that you’re trying to make your language pleasing to God and uplifting to other people.

 

Sept 11 – All Alone

The girl who wrote this story has walked a difficult road.  Not only did she have a baby in high school, something which requires swallowing a lot of pride and great emotional strength, but she also faced the cruel abandonment of her friends.

There are so many issues and struggles people go through that seem to drive away friends who don’t know how to react or who are too fast to judge.  Some people might struggle with depression, other mental illness, pornography, self-injury, or same-sex attraction.  Others may have gone through a pregnancy at a very early age, had an abortion, or experienced abuse.  Some may have gone through the death or illness of a parent or close friend.  Any or all of these things have been known in the past (and present) to shame or isolate the very person who is already hurting.  When we surround the people in these situations with love, we recognize the hurt they have been through and demonstrate our willingness to walk through their struggles with them, giving them the hope and assurance that they are not alone and have someone to lean on when times get tough.  Even though it may be hard for us (and for them) and even though they may mess up along the way, our hope-giving love and understanding in the midst of these situations can literally save someone’s life. 

In John 8:1-11, Jesus’ wise words save a woman from being stoned (killed by having rocks thrown at her) after she had an affair with someone’s husband.  There are many lessons to take away from this story but what I wonder tonight is if anyone walked with her after Jesus rescued her.  Did some woman from her village take her hand and tell her she would help her as she fought to change her life?  Did anyone love her enough to say “Yeah, I know what you did, but you’re after a different life now.  How can I support?”  Would I have done that?  I wonder.

Ask God to expand your heart to include the people who struggle with things you don’t understand.  Pray for the wisdom to know when to reach out and the courage to follow through.  It’s one of the best ways I know to “be Jesus” to someone.

*Sidenote:  The verse from today is what the Hebrews verse from last week quotes.  Deuteronomy 31:8b says “[The Lord] will be with you; he will not fail you or forsake you.  Do not fear or be dismayed.”