Watch the Way You Talk!

I have a slight tendency to be .... sarcastic. I know, some of you that may take by surprise. *wink* But, I assure you, I am - it is not something that always brings me pride. Lately, I have been thinking to myself that I should really, really try to knock it down a few knotches.

Especially because I have this habit of reminding my fabulous husband that he should watch himself so that the only things coming out of his mouth are helpful for building others up. I am currently cringing and the thought chorus going through my head is "Hypocrite!"

In Ephesians, Paul writes to the church at Ephesus to encourage them. I very much like The Message version of Ephesians 4:29, because it just hits the nail on the head... there is no way you can read the verse and think, "but does it really mean {insert}?" It is direct, (much like my sarcasm tends to be) and it reads:

"Watch the way you talk. Let nothing foul or dirty come out of your mouth. Say only what helps, each word a gift."

Pretty black and white. If I were to sit down and see a computerized version of everything I said on any given day - gulp - I am afraid that more often than not my gifts to those around me, or those far away (gotta love technology!) are not the pretty kind, you know those large, lavishly decorated gifts someone always brings to a birthday party or wedding or Chrismas. The kind that when other people see it they think "Goodness! I hope that's for me! Surely something great is in there! Oh I hope! I hope!" Yeah, most of my 'gifts' are not those kind.

I'm reminded of a story called Nails in the fence. And, here it is:

There once was a little boy who had a bad temper. His father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper he must hammer a nail into the back of the fence. The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks, as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled down. He discovered it was a lot easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence.

Finally came the day when the boy didn't lose his temper at all. He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail each day that he was able to hold his temper.

The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that the nails were all gone. The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. He said, "You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won't matter how many times you say I'm sorry, the wound is still there."

A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one. Friends are very rare jewels, indeed! They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear, they share words of praise, and they always want to open their hearts to us.

Just one more thing.... please forgive me if I have ever left a hole in your fence.

If you removed the bad temper and made it a woman who said things sarcastically, that could be me... And as I was sitting here typing that story the Holy Spirit moved inside me and prompted this thought, "Jesus has your nail holes - for everytime you said something you shouldn't, for everytime you spoke in anger, for everytime you did something you were not supposed to do. His hands will not be the same, they bare the scars. But, He will make you smile, He encourages you to succeed, He lends and ear, He shares words of praise, and His heart is always open to you."

Please forgive me if my words or actions have put holes into your fences. I am far from perfect, but thank God that He isn't. And He is the potter, making me and molding me into the person He desires for me to be.