Your Words Can Change the World
Written by Ian Jannaway
This week Pastor Caleb brought the series on humankind to a close, with a call to emulate Jesus, and be proactive in the demonstrations of what can be called, R.A.O.K, random acts of kindness.
Kindness is the trait that God uses to restore our broken relationships, both between each other, and between us and God. Caleb used the example of Fred Rogers, the host of a hugely successful American tv show called Mister Rogers neighbourhood. He was known as the kindest man in American tv.
An investigative journalist was sent to try and expose Fred as a fraud, but could find nothing amiss. He was a genuinely kind man, and the two became friends, with the journalist eventually becoming a Christian. Fred left an incredible legacy of kindness behind.
Fred said two things to the journalist that struck him, “I don’t think you are broken” and “think of all the people who have loved you into being”
The thing about Fred was the way he used words. The bible says this in Proverbs 18:21 “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” We see this passage from James brother of Jesus, in James 3:3-6
3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4 Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5 Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
James wrote this for everyone not just a specific group, as we see that other epistles in the new testament are directed towards. The thing to note is that the tongue (words) can defile (damage the purity of, desecrate, profane, violate) the user and the hearer. We see the growth of online bullying, where people just jump on and heap hate speech on a person, without knowing the recipient or caring about the damage they are doing. They defile themselves and those they abuse.
Proverbs is a book that gives us the lived experience of people, generations of the wisdom of good and bad. Proverbs 9:11 says this
‘For through wisdom[b] your days will be many, and years will be added to your life.12 If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you; if you are a mocker, you alone will suffer.’
Proverbs 16;1 says this ‘To humans belong the plans of the heart, but from the Lord comes the proper answer of the tongue.’
The social psychologist Hugh Mackay said this “what we need is a revolution of kindness” kindness is needed now more than ever, especially as we navigate the new world order of Covid. We in Australia need to move from being the lucky country to the loving country. Should we as Christians not be at the forefront of this revolution of kindness.? Revolutions rarely start from the top, they start from the ground up, that means we each take personal responsibility for this revolution. Humankind needs our kindness now more than ever.
Pastor Caleb asked us two questions-
1. Consider the regular ways you communicate. What might they reveal about what is in your heart?
2. Is there someone in your world for whom you are concerned about the course of their life? How might your words help re chart the course of their life?
Luke 6:45 says this ‘45 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.