Words

Words

Several years ago I sat at a table and was organizing baby shower pictures, two years or longer after they were taken. A little boy, not yet freckled faced, toddled up to me, with paci in mouth and said, “oh a party….” I smiled and showed him the pictures. “Mommy and daddy….no Kendal?” In his limited vocabulary he ask. A simple question, requiring only a simple answer. In my mommy moment of wanting him to know he was there, I simply said, you are there, in mommy’s tummy. “Ok” he said and toddled back off to watch Mickey Mouse.

A few minutes later he returned and looked at me and said with all the seriousness a toddler could, “Mommy! You not supposed to jus’ eat people!” Then he toddled off with me laughing tears down my face. For the next several weeks, he told everyone that would listen, “Mommy jus’ eat me….” I got a few looks…..

We don’t always choose the right words when explaining something and sometimes we over explain, when a simple answer will suffice. For example, I should have just told my sweet boy that he was not in the picture or no, he wasn’t there yet. Oh course, then I wouldn’t have that adorable story to tell his future girlfriends.

For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to evangelize – not with clever words, so that the

Cross of Christ will not be emptied of its effect.

 Corinthians 1:17

I came across this scripture while reading early morning, before work. The background is Paul writing to the Corinthians and reminding them that Christ is the focus, not himself, Apollos, or Cephas, as some of the worshippers were arguing over whose teaching’s to follow. I particularly like the second part of the scripture, because it emphasizes something I think we forget as Christ followers. Paul evangelized a simple message. Christ died on a cross for our sins, overcame the grave and rose again. To be saved, one must simply believe.

When witnessing to a lost friend, don’t try to use clever words and impress them with your vocabulary. Just speak the simple truth, as told by the first teachers of the gospel. Also, we must watch our own words when not speaking about Christ or when speaking about Christ. Those same lost souls, may be the very people reading a social media post, where you blast a news article, or make comments on a post that someone is offended by, or you could be sitting in a room with people and come across as a hateful racist.  (Preaching to myself, friends)

There is still time to make a new year’s resolution to steer clear of those conversations. In the long run, does it matter what side of a political argument someone is on, or does it truly matter what side of the Cross they are own? Christ used love to minister. So should we. He also gives all of us free choice over our lives, we should remember that when we argue against someone else’s choices in life.

Father, I don’t know if this is for the blog or for me? With so much hate and divide in the world, I feel hopelessly lost when I see friends so hurt by words. How do I stand by my principals, yet respect the principals of others. How do friendships remain strong when so much divide is taking place? Help us Lord. Remind us to love our neighbors, all of them, the same….even when we disagree. Guard my tongue as I leave clever arguments alone, for the simple message of love on a cross. Amen