By: Pastor Andrea Fruscella
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After a decade surrounded by males and even a male dog, my daughter and I are thoroughly enjoying our female “fur baby” Zoey Grace (4 lbs. Yorkshire Terrier). We dress her in outfits, enter her in contests and take her to as many places as we can (e.g. purse dog). When I entered her into a costume contest, it was simply to make cherished childhood memories. However, they took first place as Tinkerbell with her diva manager! The joy on my child’s face was worth it all! The prize really did not matter. Next was a messy photo contest!
There are often those who seem to want to “rain on a person’s parade”. One such person commented on Zoey’s messy photo in a sarcastic manner implying that her pet parents just need to take better care of her. It amazes me how freely people speak their mind without even considering the context or that there may be information that they are not aware of. Harsh judgments have no place in a believers life. This contest was not faith-based. However, it was a messy photo contest and the prize was free grooming for a year. Thus, her comment was inappropriate. Zoey is able to wear the same girl outfits as my daughter's Build-A-Bears/dolls and is well taken care of for sure! This person's judgement couldn't be further from the truth. We would all do well to learn the art of speaking life as opposed to negativity!
I’m reminded of a dear friend whom demonstrated great discernment in her speech. When I asked her about it, she said that she simply thinks before she speaks. She asks herself: Is this true? Is it kind? Is it necessary? If the answer was NO to either of the three questions, this friend would leave the thought unsaid. I have reflected on her words many times. True means consistent with fact; not false or erroneous. Unfortunately, we can pass things on without even realizing it was not the truth or at least not the whole truth. Kind means friendly, generous, warm-hearted or understanding (enough said). Necessary means absolutely essential. Idle words or too many words can get us in trouble. Proverbs 10:19 GNT says: The more you talk , the more likely you are to sin. If you are wise, you will keep quiet. These are some great standards to keep while we are social networking on Facebook, with our families or with our friends!
This quality in people is of paramount importance to me personally. Life is too short to follow negative people! Most importantly, I want to please God so when I mess up I want to make it right. It is what we are characterized by that matters to God. May we be characterized with speaking life-giving, encouraging words that edify the hearers!