Show Respect With Your Words

1 Timothy 5:1-2 -  Never speak sharply to an older man, but plead with him respectfully just as though he were your own father. Talk to the younger men as you would to much-loved brothers.  Treat the older women as mothers, and the girls as your sisters, thinking only pure thoughts about them.

Paul took the time to remind Timothy that it was very important to treat all people with respect.  Aged or young …man or woman…everyone was to be considered as a part of a much-loved family.  All people deserve the very gentlest and kind words we can find in our Christ controlled heart.

Hard words to follow in our world of broken families…abused children… and violently raised people….especially if we lose sight of the power of Christ to control every word we say. It’s hard to respect someone who took drugs or drank during their pregnancy…knowing the damage it would do to their child. It’s hard to listen to the harsh conversations of some families in pubic stores.  I have shaken my head and whispered more prayers than I can count when I encounter some of these situations that I know I have no control over…and no business involving myself in that moment.

I know from experience that when we engage in the dialogue…and use the same harsh words that are thrown at us…it teaches those around us the opposite of Christ’s love. I know the damage I did to my children when they would listen to some of the word fights I would have with my first husband.  Nobody won those fights…except satan.  He succeeded in separating me just far enough from Christ that I never looked to Him to help me control my words. The end result was another divorce statistic…another damaged family that would search a long time for enough answers to learn to forgive and move past the pain it caused all of us. 

It is Christ that has taught me to control my first impulse to shout back …or judge those around me. It has taken seeing the pain it causes personally to teach me to let God control my tongue…to help me form loving words that kindly point out an issue….without degrading the person I need to confront. It is never okay to degrade….ridicule….or correct someone with harsh words…no matter what wrong we feel they have committed.

Father…thank you for the reminder that you should always be in control of my words. Forgive me for the times that I let anger….bitterness…or injustice trick me into using harsh words that tore down the situation even more.  Help me to always stop and whisper a prayer to you that helps me know how to handle each situation you allow to cross my path…so that I  will always show resect…and  model your love and mercy to others. Amen.