One minute read.
Daily Reading: Leviticus 9:7-10:20, Mark 4:26-5:20, Psalm 37:30-40, Proverbs 10:6-7
Daily Verse: “Blessings are on the head of the righteous, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.” Prov. 10:6
Silky words hide deception.
Church hurt, emotional or physical pain felt by someone; infected by the words, actions, or inactions of a person of leadership in a church, happens far too often.
As followers of Christ, our words should uplift and encourage, not tear down and destroy. But far too often, instead of submitting to Jesus, people submit to peer pressure and a longing to fit in with others, saying anything to accomplish their goals, something I learned when on staff at a local church.
Fewer people attend church now than at any other time in history; the number continuing to decline. During Jesus’ time on earth, people flocked to Him. A meme a friend sent me says it all, “If Paul could see the church in America today, we’d be getting a letter.”
Strive for integrity. Don’t use silky words that mislead and hurt people. Becoming more like Jesus means speaking life-giving words to all we meet. And as my mother taught us, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.”
Lord, forgive us for hurting others with our words. Help us do better today than yesterday as we strive to become more like Jesus. Let us uplift and encourage all we meet today. IJNIP. Amen
