How many times a day do we say something to someone, jokingly or not, and them realize we hurt them? What is our first response usually? "Oh well I didn't mean it" or "I was just kidding, geez..." The thing is though words do hurt. And it doesn't make someone bad at taking a joke when it hurts them.
The bible has something to say about this sort of thing:
Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death,
Is the man who deceives his neighbor,
And says, “I was only joking!” -Proverbs 26:18-19 (NKJV)
Why is this so severely put? Because most the time instead of taking a deep breath and genuinely apologizing we'd rather take the quickest route out and make it look like it was never really our fault in the first place. Short story? We don't tend to mean it when we say we were "only joking!" hence the "deceives his neighbor."
Ephesians 5:4 (NASB) adds:
and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.
People watch Christians, they watch what they do, what they say. Thanks to this... many people have a very bad veiw of Christians-, wait, why? Because we're not living the way the BIBLE tells us to! The very thing that we go back to again and again and again; the very Word we teach to others; our Solid Rock that we stand on in life... and we don't even live the way it's asking us to!
Now I understand we are ALL human and we all fall short (Romans 3:23), but that doesn't give us an excuse not to try and to push ourselves, we are NO longer slaves of sin (Romans 6:6); I think it's time to stop acting like it! It's time to stop being lazy! Do you see what the bible says about laziness??
Proverbs (NASB)-
Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes,
So is the lazy one to those who send him. -10:26
A lazy man does not roast his prey,
But the precious possession of a man is diligence. -12:27
The way of the lazy is as a hedge of thorns,
But the path of the upright is a highway. -15:19
Oh people! Hear me! HEAR GOD. Very soon the time will come when the whole earth will know the difference between those who are real and those who are just "going through the motions" or sticking a LABEL on themselves!
So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.
Revelation 3:16
Do you want to be one of those who make God sick?? Those who lead His people astray, those who teach things but do not themselves learn from them, those who take "Christianity" and make it some GAME... these are they who SICKEN Him... our King, our Lord... our Messiah! And no!! I don't believe that He stands there in anger... but He stands watching those with tears pouring down His face; Abba may be sick to His stomach, but all He wants is for them to be delivered.
To come running back to His arms in repentance...
We need so bad to repent.. and then to live out that repentance.
Being a Christian I strive to be as much like Christ as I can! Just like many other people I fall very short! (can you imagine if I didn't)I know I am a work in progress & I repent nightly but,I believe my father is glad I try.
ReplyDeleteAmen! I believe that as well- this is the point I'm trying to make here.. the trying. The turning from our sins and fighting Satan to not give in (thank the Lord we have Christ to help us, because none of us could definitely get there without His grace!!).
ReplyDeleteHere I believe the Holy Spirit was writing through me -none of these are my own- talking about those who really aren't trying. Who think that they can say a "sinner's prayer" and be done with it.
Thanks for the comment!