During the course of my day yesterday while sitting quietly at my desk working my husband's phone rang numerous times. People were trying to learn information about an acquaintance of Kent's who recently experienced failure. I listened as Kent gracefully communicated without giving information. He discussed what was public knowledge and then stated he had been apart of making the knowledge not so 'public' to protect dignity of those involved. After leaving the office for lunch I expressed frustration to Kent. It frustrated me that people were calling trying to find information about someone in trouble. Trust me one of the callers would go CRAZY if anyone spoke a negative word about him or anyone remotely close to him.
Later I saw a pic of someone that made me cry. The person has changed to be something she really is not. Oh sure the person 'looks a mess' and even 'acts a mess' but I KNOW this is not the real person and soon she will wake up. Later, someone began to cast off with great emotion about this person and rightfully so. Quickly it occurred to me that with the 'casting off' was really a 'catching' of some one's dirty thoughts, attitudes, and even sin nature. I quickly suggested the person not even discuss the other person. Discussing the issues of the other person with such feeling will just dirty or clutter the mind and spirit,. I would prefer crying and not being able to talk with the person for fear of crying than experincing the filth the person is involved. I prefer loving the sinner yet hating the sin. I'm afraid discussion may cause me lose sight of hope for the grace and mercy of God available to the person.
This morning the first email I received was in regards to the troubling things of yesterday. The email came from a Christian man yet written to his secular colleagues. It shared the following quotes:
Earl Wilson, the first black American Leaguer to throw a no-hitter, once said, "If you wouldn't write it and sign it, don't say it."
"If you think little of a person, you ought to say as little as you think." - Ben Franklin
Lord, help me to be able to write and sign everything I say. When others have real issues that trouble, harm, or work against me help me say as little as I may feel about the person rather than belittle myself. My title is borrowed from Terry Davidson, Superintendent of Public School Comanche, OK. Mr. Davidson posed the question, "Enough Said?" as subject of his email written to challenge those he leads to a higher manner of conversation.
Today I ask of each of us, "Enough said?"
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6 comments:
Why can't people, whether preachers lay people or whoever just learn to keep their mouth shut and pray for people. If we prayed about situations half as much as we talk about them it might change things. I hate the sin of gossiping........I am sure the devil laughs at us with our pharisaical attitudes.
I pray that I would learn to pray for my brother or sister when in need instead of spreading bad things about them........
So many times people that are so quick to run down people haven't gone through too many problems in their family or they would have a different attitude about things and none of us are immune from anything and we haven't arrived yet!!! Now that is my two cents.
love,
Mom
Very well said and thanks for reminding us to "let the words of our mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in his sight."
Renee F
Thank you for this post, Sis. Smith. So very well stated and so true. "Lord, help me to have a heart like yours, to see the soul who has fallen, who is in need of your same grace and mercy that You extend to me DAILY." Love you lots!
So beautifully said. Offering restoration to someone who has stumbled or fallen is such an important gift that God's people often neglect. We should be the first there to help restore, without a negativity of words. The words of John Bradford must ring true in all our hearts, "There but for the grace of God, goes I."
Love your post!!!! Blessed are the peacemakers....
Christians are the only group who shoot the wounded. And in all honesty, if you only know one side of the story, you don't know the story at all. And if the side that you do know came from someone other than the horse's mouth, you still don't know the story. It would behoove people everywhere to stop blabbering about people and pray for them, and TELL them you're praying for them.
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