Tear Down or Lift Up

by Debi Baker

"⁵ Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. ⁶ Let your conversation be gracious and attractive[a] so that you will have the right response for everyone."

Colossians 4:5-6 NLT

4:6 Greek and seasoned with salt.  

I think pretty much everyone on the planet would agree that we live in a relatively negative world.  It seems people speak with negative attitude with great ease but the minute we ask them to say something nice about someone, they begin to fumble over their words.

Recently there was a quiz on FaceBook that was called something like 'How well do you know your spouse?'  The premise was to answer a myriad of questions about your spouse and then ask them how well you did.  Easy enough...right?  Well, it was pretty easy according to a couple of my daughters (I didn't take the quiz).  Not only did my girls take the quiz but my teen grandchildren took it about their siblings.  Their dad pointed out how easy it was to answer the negative questions but it was quite difficult for them to answer questions having to do with what they 'liked' about each other!

When did that happen?  When did it become so easy to put other people down rather than to compliment them?  I've been trying to be more aware of my own speech...and it's so easy to point out someone's faults...but trying to lift someone up...that's another story!  And why is it so easy to think we have no faults while the rest of the world is full of them?  

I find it is particularly true in families...it's easy to rag on someone but heaven forbid we compliment the ones to whom we are closest!!  It's something that siblings do all the time.  It's how we 'communicate' with our brothers & sisters.  Am I right?

Now, I'm not saying everyone does this but I do believe it is a fault of the majority!  I believe Colossians 4:5-6 deals with this very issue.  While it talks of watching your conversation with unbelievers, I think it is just as important to watch our speech, our choice of words, with believers and family...goodness, with everyone!  We need to be wise in the words we choose to use.  I think it's time to stop spouting the negative because it's so easy.  I think we need to be slow to speak.  If every one of us would take a moment & think before we open this big hole in the front of our face, perhaps negativity would be less likely to come out!

Today I challenge you to be positive; be uplifting.  Instead of letting words just fall out of your mouth, ponder them before you let them fly.  Speak kindly.  Speak wisely.  Let the words of your mouth display the love God is!!

Have a blessed day!