May 19
“Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, that it may give grace to those who hear. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. (Ephesians 4:29,31)
Continuing our discussion yesterday regarding sins of negativity, sarcasm, ungraciousness, ungratefulness, a critical spirit, and the like, here are questions to ask yourself to see if you perhaps have a tendency to fall into these types of sins:
NEGATIVITY: Do you find that you often are concerned about what is wrong with others and see the problems and shortcomings in others, rather than the good? When people mention positive things or events, do you tend to chime in with the downside or potential problems you can see or imagine? Do you have to be asked for your concerns, or do you readily make them known without having to be asked? Are you cautious about saying negative things, or are you generous with your negative comments and sparing with your praise? Do you tend to think people and situations will turn out well, or do you tend to think they will turn out bad? Do you tend to dwell on the worst, or the best? Are you able to turn over the negative, the sins and problems you see, to the Lord in prayer, or do you fret and dwell on them, taking them upon yourself to talk about and solve?
UNGRACIOUSNESS: Are you critical toward others? Do you make cutting remarks about others? Do you say unkind things to others? Do you say things to someone that suggest they are incompetent or may mess things up? Are there people that you speak to in a harsh, demanding way? Do you boss people around, giving commands and expecting them to obey you without a please or thank you? Do you take others for granted? Are there people that you are prone to take advantage of, expecting them to serve you, and do you make cutting, demeaning remarks about people? These ugly sins can be most common in family relationships, of all places! And the hypocrisy of it is that those of us who have fallen into these sins can be nice and pleasant to outsiders, while we are critical and demeaning and demanding to those closest to them.
UNGRATEFULNESS: Do you give thanks in everything? Are you rejoicing always? Are you able to thank God for every situation you are in? When problems arise, do you give thanks as an automatic response, or do you fixate on the problems and resent God for bringing you hardship? When things are going well, are you overflowing with joy, or do you take it for granted, as if it is owed to you? Do you regularly give thanks to God? Do you regularly give thanks to others?
These sins are not trivial, and because they are so important and can be so damaging to our testimony for Christ, we will say more about these tomorrow.