When I was in high school I was your typical annoying teenager. Don’t get me wrong, I was a pretty smooth talker, and always knew the right words to say. In fact, one of my friend’s moms used to tell me that I reminded her of Eddie Haskell, from the old Leave it to Beaver Show. I thought it was pretty cool to be likened to somebody on TV, until I realized what she was actually saying, which is that I lacked sincerity. In fact, this insincerity poured out into all aspects of my relationships.
However, although I knew this, I did not really change my day-to-day actions. Until one day when I was being extra snippy and annoying. I was at church with the guys and just kept making fun of everyone. And, it was not like I was doing it with my really good friends (which still is not necessarily always okay), but pretty much everybody. That’s when Kevin decided to have a conversation with me later that evening.
After the night was over and a few of us stayed back to help clean up and put stuff away, he pulled me aside. In our talk he asked me if it was necessary for me to make fun of people the way that I did. I really did not know what he meant, until I thought about it. He was right. For some reason, I always felt like I needed to say something funny or witty. And, the worst part was that it was at the expense of other people. So, I did what any normal teenage boy would have done. I started thinking of all of the times that Kevin was hypocritical for doing the same -- that would teach him a lesson!
Nothing. I could think of absolutely zero times that Kevin had ever made a joke at somebody else’s expense. I realized at this point that I wasn’t as horrible as I thought I was; I was even worse. The good part is, when you reach rock bottom there is really no place to go except for up.
The Apostle Paul once wrote the following to a church in Ephesus:
“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” ~Ephesians 4:29
Boy, was I getting that one wrong. During the above convo with Kevin he turned it into a positive life lesson, as he so masterfully did all of the time. He told me that if I could use my words to lift up and encourage people, that I had potential to be a very influential person. The choice was mine; and I accepted the challenge to be better. My question to you is: When people think of you, do they think of your speech with fondness, or something else? My prayer is that you use your words to encourage others.
Praying for you,
MO
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