“Pencils in the Hand … “

Dear Friends,

Have you ever received a hurtful letter — one of those stinging epistles that makes you stay up at night? It may have been sent by a friend or a family member. Maybe a business associate or someone whose political views are different from yours just had to let off steam, and they took it out on you. Regardless of the circumstances, the pain you felt was real, and you struggled with how to respond.

Sometimes these types of correspondence are based on misinformation. The person was told or they perceived that you did or said something you didn’t. On occasion, you may have actually done something that was offensive or damaging, and they had the right to address the issue; but the tone they took was unkind and, to put it bluntly, unChristian.

Today, tweets and emails have replaced snail mail. Instant retaliation is too easy. Our first inclination may be to respond in kind, even though we know it’s better to respond kindly. We need to ignore the devil on our shoulder and tune in to that angel who may be encouraging us to remember the words of the sometimes hot-headed apostle. Peter, “Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude. Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing. 1 Peter 8b-9 (NLT)

In Proverbs, we find, “Don’t ever stop being kind and truthful. Let kindness and truth show in all you do. Write them down in your mind as if on a tablet.”
Proverbs 3:3 (ICB)

The Apostle Paul was thinking about things we say and do when he wrote in 2nd Corinthians 3:3 (NIV), ^“You show that you are a letter from Christ that he sent through us. This letter is not written with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. It is not written on stone tablets. It is written on human hearts.”

Mother Teresa (Saint Teresa of Calcutta) echoed the thought, “I am like a pencil in the hand of a writing God, who is sending a love letter to the world.”

We too are pencils in the hand of a writing God. We show our heart by how we communicate with others via mail, Twitter, Facebook, or face-to-face. What does your heart look like this week?

Verse of the Week

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.” Psalm 19:14 (NASB)

Blessings,
Your Friends in Christ