California recounted how his wife had injured her foot and was unable to handle normal kitchen chores. Being a guy, Mike’s answer to every packaging need is aluminum foil, so he started to wrap leftovers in foil. His wife saw what he was doing and told him that plastic wrap was better.
After struggling with the plastic wrap for several minutes, he went to her and said, “I can’t do it! I’ve tried tearing it using the edge of the box; I even tried cutting it with scissors — have you ever tried to cut plastic wrap with scissors?”
“Are you pulling down or lifting up?
“I’m pulling down, just like I always do with aluminum foil,” he responded.
“The cutting blade is on the lid,” she said. “Have you tried reading the directions?”
Pastor Mike used that story to emphasize the need to read the directions—which for Christians are in the Word of God—the Bible. I had another take on the Saran Wrap story. In life, we have opportunities to either lift people up or tear them down. When we lift them up, they are more likely to develop into the kind of people God intended them to be. When we pull them down, they and we are diminished.
The advice our mothers gave us … “If you can’t say something nice about someone, don’t say anything at all.” has biblical support: Kind words are like honey—sweet to the soul and healthy for the body. Proverbs 16:24 (NLT)
The opposite is also true. Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it …. will bear the consequences of their words. Proverbs 18:21 (AMP)
Recently I saw a wall plaque that read, “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all, and some people wonder why I’m so quiet around them”
Once again, the Bible offers a good reason to take the tight-lipped approach: But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. Hebrews 3:13 (NIV)
Another plaque I saw read, “If you can’t say something nice … why are you hanging around them?” which brings to mind 1st Corinthians 15:33: Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good character. Sometimes the wisest thing you can do is walk away.
There is an Arabian proverb that says the words of the tongue should have three gatekeepers: Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary? Modern-day sages have added: Does it improve the silence?
Lift up or pull down? When we read the directions, we’ll get it right every time.
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:
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
1 Thessalonians 5:11
Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.
2 Corinthians 13:11
Blessings,
Don & Bonnie Sennott
Scriptures courtesy of Biblegateway.com
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