Negative on That

February 26, 2024February 26, 2024 / The WheatandTares / 2 Comments

If you could permanently ban a word from general usage, which one would it be? Why?

Banning words aren’t really my thing because I do believe in the right to freedom of speech, even if I disagree or dislike what you have to say. However, there are a few words that make me cringe when I hear them, and if I could ban just one, I do suppose this would be it:

The profanity of using God’s name in vain. I’ll not type it here because I dislike it that much. But what I will say is my God’s last name isn’t damn. It seems this word can be thrown around like candy and used anyway anyone likes, and no one is supposed to say anything about it or be the slightest bit offended by it.

Yet, it’s always so interesting to me to think of how other spiritual or religious believers would react if their god’s name was used in vain…

You’d never hear anyone say Buddha —, or Ala —-, or any other god followed by this common curse word. But I guarantee if someone were to use this type of slang with those, someone would speak up and speak up loudly.

So, why should Christians be the ones to simply suck it up and deal with that? Why should Christians alone be silenced by fear or guilt when they choose to speak out?

Because we’ve tolerated it. We’ve allowed it, enabled it, and even abused it ourselves at times. So, why should anyone listen when we say, “Stop it!”

Maybe we should begin with respect. Respecting the God we serve first before we demand it of others. Maybe we should begin with reverence and appreciation for the God, who is our Creator, and then, we might be able to expect if from someone else. Maybe we should repent of our abuse and of our silence and learn to speak up before we try to tell someone else to be quiet.

May our words ring with Truth, integrity, and dignity.

And then, maybe our adjustments and proclamations might be a bit more contagious…

And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
Matthew 7:3-5

What’s Your Angle?

February 26, 2024February 24, 2024 / The WheatandTares

How do you like that? Even little Judy there's got an angle going. — (This is a small video clip. Just click to hear sound.😉)

This little clip from White Christmas is so revealing for many of us. If you live your life a skeptic or a bit of an “investigator,” this phrase makes perfect sense, because you already search for the angle in every person you meet. If you live your life as an ostrich or a small child, you may not comprehend it because you don’t look past the simple words someone uses or you completely ignore innuendos as a self preservation technique.

Either approach you take in life, many times, we ourselves as well as others have an angle for what we say and do. We may be protecting ourselves from further pain, or we may be in attack mode and looking for every opportunity to fight. But we all approach life with an Angel or looking for someone else’s.

So, what do we do about that? Do we live out everyday angry, reading into, and often misreading the other person’s responses, continually in strife for every hour of the day? Or do we turn a blind eye to every whim and wind coming from the direction of a person and just ignore any possibility of malice, believing as if we live in a Pollyanna World where we are all innocent and nothing could ever be evil or vile?

I say NO to both these extremes. I say Get your trauma healed; so, you can live effectively in this world and go out and help another. I say Get your head out of the sand; grow up, and realize there is evil all around, but we get to choose to what we listen, to whom we interact, and to how we react.

If we live out lives by choices than we take responsibility, recognize failures and celebrate successes. Stop being a victim! And stop being an antagonist! There’s a better life out there for all of us!

There is wisdom in reading, gaining knowledge and asking good questions to help yourself heal. There is wisdom in gathering around ing good people who look out for you, defend you and protect you. There is wisdom in submitting yourself to a process of growth, to a challenge of change and to a hierarchy of those who will look at you and say, “You’re reacting with an angle. Stop it.”

So, get honest with YOU. Fo some deep soul searching today. Figure out your angle and why it’s there. And go get you some accountability to make yourself better than you are today.

Or not. And continue to live your life in the mud hole of brokenness, angst, confusion and failure.

It’s your choice. 😉

And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
Joshua 24:15