BBD 07.01.05 Trash Talk
Posted by: wrather <wrather@...>
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The Burning Bush Devotional
1,264 New Subscribers since November 2004
07.01.05
Trash Talk
(Originally sent 01.22.03)
Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for
necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not
grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of
redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be
put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another,
tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. -
Ephesians 4:29-32.
There are many reasons to be careful about what you say and here are some
real life examples. In 1994 John Luckett attended a meeting in which Sarah
Brady delivered a gun control speech. Luckett vigorously heckled Brady but
his heckling was a little too vigorous and Luckett (age 70) died of a heart
attack.
In 1996 in Bedford, Virginia John M. Kirby was driving around with a car
full of friends when he passed some police officers. Kirby decided to show
what an amazing person he was to his passengers by shouting some trashy
things to the officers. The officers noticed a faulty taillight on Kirby's
vehicle, pursued and stopped him. The officers found that Kirby had a
suspended driver's license and also some marijuana in his vehicle.
In 1997 Ronnie Wade Cater was in a bar in Hampton, Virginia and had been
drinking for some time. Cater was concerned that police might stop him for
drunk driving on the way home. So, he called in a bomb threat saying the
bomb was at another bar thinking that officers would leave the area and go
to the other bar. But Cater enjoying his bomb threat call stayed on the
phone a little too long and the call was traced. And Cater was arrested.
I learned a long time ago that the very best thing to say to a police
officer was only "Yes Sir," and "No Sir." Those words that come out of our
mouths can cause so much trouble!! On the other hand if we are careful only
to say those things that we believe will build other people up - words can
be a source of much good. How wonderful it would be if all bitterness,
wrath, anger, clamor, evil speaking and malice were put away from us. What a
wonderful world it would be.
If every hateful or unkind word that you have ever heard or read were erased
from your memory you would be a different person than you are now. I know I
would be. If I could erase every hateful word that I have ever said or
written I would have a more peaceful life and my relationship with some
people would be so much better.
The fact is that we cannot erase the unkind and hateful words we have heard
or that we have said. But we can extend forgiveness to those who have lashed
out at us and we can apologize to those we have spoken to in an unkind way.
We can also go to our Lord seeking His forgiveness committing ourselves to
speaking only what is kind and good. What better time then now to make that
commitment?
Copyright © 2003-2005. Ed Wrather. Permission is given for use of the
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