Day 19: Insults

Ephesians 4:31 (HCSB) All bitterness, anger and wrath, insult and slander must be removed from you, along with all wickedness.

 

We seem to see this a lotin our children, but I am wondering if that is only because they see it in more subtle (or not so subtle) forms in adults.

“That guy is weird”

“He is creepy”

“Look at that driver -  what an idiot!”

“She is not the right kind of person”

 

Certainly we should be wary of some people’s behavior but that does not give us reason to insult or slander the person. Perhaps we could say…

 

“That is weird behavior…”

“What he is doing is creepy…”

“That driver is not driving well…”

“She does not behave in ways that make me want to be with her.”

 

I know it sounds corny, but our words really do make a difference. When we begin to separate our thinking from what a person does to who they are, we can begin to realize that God loves them as valuable people even thought their behavior may not be appropriate.

 

Proverbs 26:18-19 (HCSB) ¹⁸ Like a madman who throws flaming darts and deadly arrows, ¹⁹ so is the man who deceives his neighbor and says, “I was only joking!”

 

Another area of insult is the famous “just kidding”. How many times do we hear – “I was just joking?”

 

If a madman were to throw flaming darts or shoot deadly arrows, they would be thrown with no intention and would land wherever.

That’s what happens when we “deceive our neighbor” with jest and then say “I was just joking.”  Our flaming arrows have been thrown without ill intent, but they have caused great harm.

 

Watch your words.