“You can’t un-ring a bell.”
I remember my dad saying this to me after I
had said something hurtful and stupid.
The point is, no matter how hard you try, the words that come from your
lips cannot be taken back. Like the
lawyer who “retracts” his question, the words still impacted the jurors.
Our words matter in terms of our witness,
too.
I don’t mean that we must have the perfectly
crafted statement of faith or testimonial in order to reach someone with the
Gospel. I mean the words we say when
we’re not talking about our faith; the things we say around the water cooler,
the comments overheard on the phone, and things like that.
David says, “I will guard my ways that I may
not sin with my tongue; I will guard my mouth with a muzzle, so long as the
wicked are in my presence.” Sometimes
our words are stumbling blocks to unbelievers around us.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not talking
about watering down the Gospel or trying to remove the scandal of the Cross. What I am saying is that if people are going
to stumble on our words, we want them to be the right words- Jesus’ words – and not stupid hurtful things that roll from
our lips.
It is hard sometimes to not openly vent
against people because of the evils in the world. We have a natural obsession with fairness and
rules. Sometimes, however, the rules
become more important to us than the people breaking them. As we stand up for truth we trample people
with different opinions and beliefs. We
can resonate with David’s attitude, “My heart became hot within me. As I mused, the fire burned; then I spoke
with my tongue.” We can feel the
pressure build, and often our thoughts are just and right, but when we speak we
scorch souls instead of searing them with the Law to lead them to
repentance.
Paul urges us in Ephesians 4:15 to speak the
truth in love. Sometimes we need to get
our perspective back in order to do so.
David serves as a good example of this.
He says, “O LORD, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how
fleeting I am!” This life is short; the
troubles we face will end. That’s an
important perspective, because even as we deal with important matters, there is
an end and we know who wins. We want to
win well, and draw others to Jesus in the process.
David says to the LORD, “My hope is in you.” This is another important perspective. Not everything depends on you. You cannot change people’s hearts. You are a witness, a voice speaking the
truth. Having spoken, pray to the LORD and leave it in His
hands to create faith and change hearts.
He also says, “Deliver me from all my
transgressions.” In dealing with others
we deal with sinners, but they are sinners just like us. We are no better. It is only in the deliverance Jesus gave to
us through His cross and empty tomb that we stand before God. Therefore, as we struggle with frustration at
the wickedness of the world, we humble give testimony to the only source of
salvation from the sins we all face in this world; Jesus, crucified, risen, and
coming again.
Father, give me Your perspective so my words do not hinder others from
knowing your salvation. Let my words
reflect the hope I have in Jesus, and bear witness for Him so others may
believe Him too. Amen.
Comments