August 22

Proverbs 29, 30 2 Thessalonians 1 Proverbs 29 and 30 contain the writing of Agur son of Jakeh who closes with these words: "If you have played the fool and exalted yourself, or if you have planned evil, clap your hand over your mouth! For as churning the milk produces butter, and as twisting the nose produces blood, so stirring up anger produces strife." Most of us, I imagine, don't really "plan evil" but I wonder how much pain we end up inflicting anyway with just our words?  Gossip can destroy reputations, cause pain to families, and stress to individuals.  What if, instead of passing on something that we know is not going to lift up anyone else, we clapped our hands over our mouths instead?  I try to ask myself, before I pass along anything I've heard, "What is my purpose in passing this on?"  Sometimes there are legitimate reasons to talk about other people such as when our girls come to talk to me when they are worried about their friends.  They aren't seeking to pass on gossip about these friends but are looking for some wisdom in how to deal with something the friends may be saying or doing.  I think most of us, if we are honest, do know the difference between talking about someone in the context of seeking help for that person and talking about someone because, well, it can make us feel temporarily better to feel superior to someone else.  Lord, remind me to clap my hands over my mouth before I say something hurtful! How do you struggle with this? In his second letter to the Thessalonians, Paul begins with words of encouragement – he tells them how he thanks God daily for them and how he boasts about their perseverance in the face of persecution and trials. He reminds them that those who persecute God's people have a Day of Judgment coming.  It is so hard to remember this sometimes.  Evil really does seem to triumph.  Greedy people grab and get and glory in their grabbing and getting.  We have to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus and on the scope of eternity – all of these things, gossip and lies and evildoers will have to face God and explain how they chose to live their lives.  Each day of our lives is a precious gift.  Let's not waste it on fretting about evil people but, like the Thessalonians, persevere and keep the faith that God knows what is happening and will bring to justice those who do evil.