How Do Your Words Taste?

Let your conversation be always full of grace,

Seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

Colossians 4:6

Misunderstood.  Hurtful.  Uncaring.  Those aren’t the emotional reactions I expected.  I intended to provide explanation or comfort or concern.  Yet, my words have far too often caused unintended pain.  I have spent a lifetime witnessing the distress inflicted on others as a result of this weakness of mine.  Poorly selected words have produced less than positive results.  More accurately, the problem hasn’t been my word choices, but my tone of voice.  Maybe I need a little seasoning to make my words taste better.

 

Paul writes an exhortation to the Colossian Christians, and to us, to be prepared… looking for any opportunity God may provide to share the Good News.  In today’s vernacular, we need to bring our “A” game every time we speak to nonbelievers.  We never know when the occasion will be available again.

Conversations full of grace and seasoned with salt are loving and hopeful, gentle and kind.  Seasoned words are appropriate, useful and well received.  Grace-filled, seasoned words are well thought out and clear.  May we all know how to answer everyone with gentle, appetizing words.

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, please have patience with me as I learn to speak in loving ways.  I want my conversations to be full of grace.  Please season my words so that they are well received by everyone.  Thank you for your merciful kindness toward me.  In the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.

Carl Smith

Stephenville, Texas 

Church: It's a Team Thing

A team is a group of two or more people working together to accomplish a task.  Nowadays a lot of people associate the idea of "team" with sports.  But, team can be applied to many areas of life.  Just as each member of a sports team has a different role to play and skills to offer, so do members of “Work” teams. The same goes for a church setting. Many, including myself, do not see or consider members of a church as a team working together toward the same goal.

This past week I attended a Teambuilding exercise called MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator.) The objective of this event was to enhance Teambuilding in the professional environment. Teambuilding is the process by which a group of individuals are encouraged to learn about themselves, each other, their leaders, and how all these components fit together to boost team success. As I interacted with others in this event I could not keep my mind from wandering to how this very concept applies to the Church. Each person in the church brings individual preferences for their “Source of Energy” (Extraversion-Introversion,) “Taking in Information” (Sensing-Intuition,) “Decision Making” (Thinking-Feeling,) and “Lifestyle” (Judging-Perceiving.) Based on these four preference dichotomies you can derive up to sixteen unique personality types.  By participating in this exercise an individual is able to better understand their personality type and the relationship of each individual’s preferences to the way you and other team members interact.

Although, this particular exercise was not a foreign concept to me from a professional standpoint I had never participated in a real life event putting this into practice.  The more I thought about it, the more aware I became of how this relates to the “Church” Environment.  People makeup a church.  Each and every individual brings to the table a different set up preferences that define their make-up and shape how they believe, feel and express their desires.  And, this makes me curious about two things as I look at the makeup of the Church today:  1.)  “What are the constraints individuals have with one another that inhibits their ability to help each other get to heaven?  2.) What are the constraints that inhibit us from completely and totally turning ourselves over to God?” As I pondered these questions several things caught my attention.  I narrowed my list down to 6 important items that I think can help the church team become a healthier experience.

* Fostering openness and trust.

* Providing a language with which to discuss differences.

* Underscoring the value of diversity.

* Teaching the Church team to value and work with the strengths of others.
* Helping increase productivity by aligning an individual’s preferences to the particular goal of God’s plan for us.

* Identifying the Church teams assets and blind spots.

Colossians 3:12-14... Says, “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

“Church is a Team Sport” and it's all about making disciples, caring for people, following up on stray sheep, and teaching what it means to love God and obey him.  This is what transforms Christians from Monday-morning quarterbacks into dynamic players.

Jesus, thank you for your unconditional love. Help us, Lord to have a soft heart and love one another more. Jesus, clear our vision so that we may realize “Church Is a Team Sport” and help us have an open mind to understand others preferences to enhance our personal growth and renew our spiritual strength. We love you. Amen.

Landon Kribbs

Stephenville, Texas

I am a Christian

I recently received an email forward that I actually thought was worth my time to read.  Most of the time, I skim through them and delete without reading it fully.  But, this email in particular really made me stop and consider how I consider myself and the descriptor I use as “Christian”. 

I am guilty of calling myself a “Christian” as if it were a badge I wear on my jacket and an item on my resume.  It becomes an involuntary thought somehow twisted into a qualification for something.

Here’s the email:

When I say that ‘I am a Christian’, I am not shouting that ‘I am clean living’.

I’m whispering ‘I was lost, but now I’m found and forgiven’.

When I say ‘I am a Christian’, I don’t speak of this with pride. 

I’m confessing that I stumble and need Christ to be my guide.

When I say ‘I am a Christian’, I’m not trying to be strong.  

I’m professing that I’m weak and need HIS strength to carry on.

When I say ‘I am a Christian’, I’m not bragging of success.

I’m admitting I have failed and need God to clean up my mess.

When I say ‘I am a Christian’, I’m not claiming to be perfect.

My flaws are far too visible, but God believes I’m worth it.

When I say ‘I am a Christian’, I still feel the sting of pain.

I have my share of heartaches, so I call upon HIS name.

When I say ‘I am a Christian’, I’m not holier than thou.

I’m just a simple sinner who received God’s grace.

Being a follower of Christ certainly gives us a confidence in knowing our debt has been paid in full at the cross and that God’s love for us is so deep and unconditional.  However, this confidence should not lend itself to arrogance.  It should actually be the inverse.  I should recall the words above and strive to help others recognize the grace God gives us so freely is liberating but also humbling.

In today’s society, we expect each other to be perfect, without fault and blemish.  Reality Check please! …..  Holding each other accountable is important, but we are creatures of the flesh and full of imperfections.  Recognizing my own flaws might limit me in identifying other people’s flaws.  I am an imperfect individual that is weak and more than capable of creating more ‘mess’ than I know what to do with.  I am so incredibly thankful for my Father who has generously covered me with His grace and allowed me to draw near to him.  He fixes all of my issues or at least gives me the strength to endure them. 

Isaiah 41: 9-10

9 I took you from the ends of the earth,
from its farthest corners I called you.
I said, ‘You are my servant’;
I have chosen you and have not rejected you.
10 So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Father,

Please forgive me of considering myself as a Christian as if it’s a title I earned.  Help me to humbly embrace your love and grace in all of my weaknesses.  I ask Lord, that you help remind me of what is means to be a Christ – follower in all of my thoughts, words and actions.  Thank you for your unending grace.  In Jesus name, Amen.

Michelle Tittor

Grapevine, Tx

Don't Let it Change You

Been stung lately?
Not by a bee or a scorpion.  
The human variety.  The sting of rudeness, slander, anger, maliciousness.  The sting of such things can poison our hearts and change our spirits...if we let it.  

The story is told of an old man who liked to meditate every morning under the shade of a big tree on the bank of the Ganges River.  One day, after he'd completed his morning ritual, he noticed a scorpion tangled in the tree roots at the water's edge.  As the scorpion struggled to free itself, the current from the river threatened to submerge the helpless animal.  

The old man crawled out on the roots of the tree and reached over to save the scorpion from drowning.  For all of his effort, the old man was rewarded with a sting from the distressed creature.  The old man recoiled in pain, but soon gained his composure and again extended his hand to save the scorpion.  And this went on for some time until the old man's hands were swollen with the venom from the scorpion.  

A passer-by shouted to the old man: "Are you crazy?  Why do you want to save such a vile creature that is so intent upon harming you?"  

"It is the scorpion's nature to sting," said the old man, "but why should that change my nature to help?"  

Listen to the wisdom in the streets.  Take to heart what television programs and movies tell us about "revenge."  Linger in just about any break room in any office complex and listen in on the daily chatter.   The word is out:  Let the stingers beware!  The cliche' "it's a dog-eat-dog world" begins to make sense when we absence the gospel and the Lordship of Christ.  

Jesus' actions at the cross are necessary for our salvation.  His words at the cross show us what it means to live nobly as people of the gospel in a world that gets out of bed with their stingers on guard!  With ignorance, hate and malice standing before his pain-racked body he said, "Father, forgive them for they don't know what they are doing" (Luke 24:34).   Paul said, "Bless those who persecute you, bless and curse not....Never pay back evil for evil to anyone" (Romans 12:14, 17)  

Our commitment to non-retaliation is a moral thing with us, but when viewed in the practical experience of everyday life the implication is much bigger.  It shows "stingers" the dignity, power and beauty we are capable of as human beings when the Spirit of Christ rules in our hearts.    

Father, give us such a heart.  We are susceptible to the poison of hate, malice and revenge.  The stings we experience can send this poison coursing through our veins.  We are tempted to hear only:  "it's your right" - destroy!  Save us from such thoughts and their progression into action.  Bathe our hearts with your grace and a greater sense of our calling to be the presence of Christ in those moments when we hurt so bad.  Give us the continual ministry of your Spirit so that we can live beyond the seductive reach of our own sense of justice and injustice.  And, may we genuinely seek out how we can do good even to those who sting us.  Because of Jesus....Amen.

Randy Daugherty
Stephenville, Texas

A Series of Contrasts

But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.  Ephesians 2:13

God’s plan of salvation is a fascinating series of contrasts.  Under the old covenant, Jewish priests slaughtered and sacrificed perfect lambs on an altar for the sins of the people.  Not just once, but regularly because this kind of sacrifice only atoned for, or “covered over,” their sins for the time being.  This shedding of blood was a necessary part of forgiveness and salvation.  Why?  Because God said so.

God’s people now live under a new covenant, but sacrifice remains a key element in our salvation.   God came to earth in human form as Jesus, the Son of God.  He was tempted in every way we are, but never sinned (Hebrews 4:15).  He was THE perfect sacrificial Lamb who died for our sins, and the Bible says He died once for everyone (I Peter 3:18).

Bloodshed usually means war, murder, physical trauma, injury or death.  In contrast, the shedding of Jesus’ blood on the cross means peace, tolerance, healing, and eternal life.

Under the old law the priests’ white robes were soaked with blood at the end of their workday.  Under the new law we were dirty from our sins, but Jesus’ sacrificial death makes us a “royal priesthood” (I Peter 2:9), and our robes are, “made white in the blood of the Lamb” (Revelation 7:14).

Isn’t God amazing?  His plan for our salvation is a paradox where death means life!  We were far off, but His blood brings us near.

Father, your plan for our salvation continues to unfold in fascinating ways.  Guide us through each step and help us understand your will for us.   We’ve done nothing to deserve your love or merit your forgiveness but we are truly thankful for Jesus’ willingness to die in our place, to take away our sins, so we can live with you forever.   Amen  

Sandra Milholland
Abilene, Texas