I Don’t Think This Means What You Think It Means!

In this day and age of instant communication, we seemed to have forgotten to think before we meme. There are people walking around with their foot in their mouths and they don’t even know it is there. We as Christians try to watch what we say, but electronically we will post out the wazoo and do not seem to comprehend what is coming off of our fingers. 

     “The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable: but the mouth of the wicked speaketh frowardness.”  Proverbs 10:32

I will be willing to paraphrase here and say that in this electronic age, the word lips in that verse should also refer to our typing fingers! 

People, people: start thinking before you hit send on that message you are about to send. THINK about it! Does this sound like a Christian attitude? I am even going to resort to a modern day cliché here – what would Jesus do?

Please do not put affirmations up on public media telling us how wonderful you are, how empowered you are. Scriptures tell us we are unclean, and all our righteousness is as filthy rags! (See Isaiah 64:6 and Romans 3 – Those tell us who we really are). We have no power of our own accord. And you look at yourself and if you stop comparing yourself with others (which is what the Pharisees did) you will see that you ain’t that great!

It would be understandable if this stuff was coming from the world, but it is coming from professed Christians! I recently saw a meme that said, in a nutshell, that if people do you wrong, if you don’t receive back what you give to them, that you should – snip – cut them off. (screeching brakes inserted here). What happened to seventy times seven? What happened to the love of Christ (whom you are supposed to be representing)?

We are ambassadors for Christ! Example: When an ambassador from our country says or does something dumb, he or she gets either a  reprimand or gets booted out of the country.  And if it is down on paper, or in an email there is no getting out of the proof that the deed has been done. Likewise, when we say or write something offensive or stupid, without thinking, the proof is there. (This is probably the main reason we should daily ask for forgiveness – our stupid mouth, and in this electronic age, our stupid unthinking fingers that are hitting that post button!)

I repeat – THINK BEFORE YOU SPEAK!

“There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health.” Proverbs 12:18

“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.” Ephesians 4:29

And the greatest verse on this subject:

“Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles.” Proverbs 21:29

AE

and continuing…

II Corinthians 3:18

But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. 

We tend to be very quick to read something, and not really completely think it through. We read it. It resonates with us, and since we have access to being able to share that thought with friends and family we very quickly do so. There really is nothing wrong with sharing our thoughts, feelings, or ideas. It’s just that we all really need to slow down to a fraction of the speed that Facebook, Twitter, etc. have our brains going, before we share these thoughts. Whether or not we identify as Christian we should still make sure that we actually do agree with something before publicly declaring that so.

And if we truly are Bible believing Christians we need to check that our thoughts line up with the Bible before we start giving others life advice.  Because we are human we are very often moved by emotion.  The problem with allowing emotion to control our thoughts and actions is that emotion is rarely lead by truth or logic.  Emotion in and of itself is not a bad thing.  It allows us to feel empathy, and to connect on a human level.  But we cannot live our lives allowing our hearts to lead us.

Jeremiah 17:9

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

We cannot live life just following our heart; doing what feels right.  We absolutely have to give our hearts over to God.  Allow him to lead and guide us, and teach us to do what is right.  Jeremiah 17:9 is often quoted and many of us have learned it by heart.  We need to follow that up and learn verse 10 now. 

Jeremiah 17:10

I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.

God knows what is in our heart.  I read a book when I was in college called Changed Into His Image written by a man named Jim Berg.  In this book the author gives the illustration of our hearts being like a tea bag.  When the tea bag is placed into hot water what is inside will come out.  Our hearts are the same.  When life happens around us whatever is in our hearts is what will come out.  

My Dad has been seeing many Christian brothers and sisters posting meme’s with ideas that are completely counter Christian, and that is why he introduced this topic, and said we should write about it.  It caused me to pause and reflect on my own life as well.  Am I being careful that what I put into my heart is good and true, so that truth can come out when I speak?  Or am I allowing so much of the world into my heart and life that my thoughts and actions are a reflection of the world?  I hope we will all pause and ask these same questions of ourselves.  I need to constantly be filling my mind and heart with the things of God so that what comes out is a mirror image of God.  

Philippians 4:8

Finally brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be and virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Let’s fill our hearts and minds so full of scripture that there is no room for error in our minds, and we will recognize it at first glance, and not be tempted to react in emotion but in the truth of God’s love. 

GA