January 6, 2022 – Click here to listen
I have a rather tough assignment due to one of my New Year’s resolutions. I have decided that my warped sense of humor must go the way of the dinosaur and die. When it comes to chiding people, I can use my rapier wit to slice through the thickest bone with ease. Mind you I only engage in this folly with the people that I love the most in life, and they give it right back to me, and for the most part, it is merely viewed as good fun and banter. But I just don’t feel it is what Jesus wants me to do.
Christians strive to do better in life, and this is one of the areas I’m trying to improve. Until now I haven’t shared this with anyone. So far, my friends seem to think I’m angry with them due to the noticeable change in my interaction with them. Some have tried to provoke me by attacking or belittling me but the anticipated customary response of trying my utmost to return fire is missing. Instead, I have met those efforts with smiles and complete agreement with them.
Yes, my boat is a piece of junk. Yes, I’m a terrible fisherman compared to you. Yes, I should have bought a Chevrolet truck instead of a Ford. Yes, I’m old and over the hill. Yes, my guitar playing is awful. Yes, I’m nearly deaf and blind. Yes, I put the “U” in ugly. Yes, I walk slower than I used to.
It is so liberating just to smile and nod agreement and not to have to respond in like kind or worse.
I grew up with extremely low self-esteem and my father was a master at making me feel lowdown. I know how it feels to be called stupid, or a black sheep, or be told I’ll never be a success at anything, or that I was a “bad seed”. He wasn’t joking, however, and that was his opinion of me. Later on, in my early years, I tried to take it out on the entire world and nearly died in the process.
I used to say, “Nice guys always come in last”. I don’t even want to think that way anymore. Nice guys come in first. I assume Jesus got tired of my behavior because I feel the Holy Spirit’s nudge, (more like the thump of a baseball bat on my noggin actually).
If I were to ask myself, what would Jesus do? Or better what advice would He have for me? I imagine He would say, “Bob, you need to check your tongue at the door”. According to Scripture, I think I might have some company to include all human beings.
James 3:8
. . . but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.