The Hardest Thing

After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent a message to them, saying, "Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, say it." So Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said:
"Men of Israel and you who fear God, listen. -- Acts 13:15-16



It has been said that children can be the meanest of all creations. The lack of couth and the absence of knowledge of social norms allows for many words to exit their mouths which, as adults, we would keep locked up to save others' feelings. In the classroom of a middle school, I witness this phenomenon every day. There is no end to the hurling of insults and put downs and mud slinging. When called on it, the excuse given is, "I am only joking."

The reasons for such behavior could come from many places. Possibly, the home is broken, and one parent is struggling to support the fragile psyches of multiple needy children. Another child might suffer the verbal and/or physical abuse of one or more of his elders. Still other kids may be dealing with parents who completely refuse to give attention to them at all. Some may only be responding to the pressure they feel to fit in. The list goes on and on. Sadly, it becomes increasingly harder to provide encouragement because we are surrounded by the negative words.

Turn on the television and you see the same thing. A television show whose title advertises that it has a male figure who is family focused actually portrays every spiritual and cultural poison in a comedic light, giving us all the freedom to laugh at things that are truly inappropriate to even be public knowledge, much less be made fun of. The vocabulary of most screen writers must be horrible, for they resort to the selling of sex and vulgar language to maintain viewers. Even more sad is the fact that we continually consume and conform without complaint.

I could go on complaining. It would be easy, and I even have that first amendment right to do so. Complaining accomplishes nothing though. It merely makes my voice another in a sea of voices that all tout their own fears and desires, demanding to be heard and acknowledged. No one hears this. The voice that we are all straining to hear, isn't there.

What people are demanding is someone to take their side, someone to encourage them and show them hope. As Christians, we have hope, and we have a command to encourage others. The Bible has much to say on the topic of our tongues. They are the heaviest weight to carry, and nary a man can tame the tongue. Our words can give life or drive people down. It is time we changed our voices.

I suggest we follow the type that Paul set up for us in the passage above. When the scripture had been read and the call was given for one of the apostles to give a word of encouragement, Paul stood and said, "Men of God, listen..." He then set forth the history of the Jewish people. He pointed out their beginning, their rough and tumble past with their God, and finishes with a hope and a warning. The thing he showed them was that God "