Today we read from these verses in the One Year Bible:
Zechariah 9:1-17
Revelation 17:1-18
Psalm 145:1-21
Proverbs 30:32
Let's look at the proverb. Solomon tells us that if we have been proud of being foolish, or if we plan evil, we should clap our hand over our mouth! Gwen Stefani demonstrates how to do this in the clip above, from her video "Hollaback Girl".
And we should take this advice to heart, especially when we are online. Only instead of putting our hand over our mouth, we should take our fingers away from the keyboard. Remember that we are called to love, and especially to love our enemies, by Jesus Himself. Yes, loving someone might mean telling them they're wrong about something. But it doesn't mean calling them names or being rude to them. It means kindly, gently telling them the truth, and helping them accept it.
That doesn't mean they HAVE to accept it or you've failed. You're not responsible for how they react. But we DO need to try to present the truth to them in a way that is positive and acceptable, not angry and contentious.You never know who might be reading your comments besides the person you're writing to.
God, thanks for teaching us to keep quiet when we plot evil - and to speak up in love.
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