Stix and Stones...

Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble. Proverbs 21:23

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. Eph 4:29

If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. James 1:26

Last night I watched an episode of 20/20, and the show was on the case of the Rutgers University student that committed suicide after learning (or believing) that his roommate video recorded him and another man in his dorm room. For many who know the story, the roommate was convicted of a hate crime for spying. The episode presented both sides of the story, but one thing came out loud and clear to me, people talk and say things way too quickly and without much thought!

The entire episode played out how each roommate posted things on Twitter, on Facebook, and through text messages that were absolutely awful. When asked about these posts, the roommate simply said, "I didn't mean anything by it, thats just the way the kids talk."

I'm sorry, that is not an adequate answer. First, at 18-19 years old you are not just "kid". Secondly, assuming you were even younger, your words mean something. Your words can either build up or tear down. And in the age we live in today, where the words oftentimes are electronic and therefore permanent, your words carry even more power.

The Bible is clear: we need to keep control over our tongues. And if computers were around during the time of the Bible writers they would have said to keep control over your fingers too. Words are powerful. The Lord spoke the universe into existence using His Words. The Scriptures our clear, our tongues are to be gentle (Prov 15:4), guarded (Psalm 14:13), the source of good or evil (Mat 13:33), and can be the source of love or destruction (Proverbs 17).

Listen, you have got to think about what you say and what you mean. Psalm 103 says, "The LORD is compassionate, merciful, patient, and always ready to forgive.", we should be no different. We need to think about our words, our Tweets, our Postings, and our texts.

Are you building up or tearing down? Are you helping or hurting? It may sound silly, it may sound cliche, but the next time your ready to say or type something take a deep breath and ask: What would Jesus do?