Watch your mouth

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “God’s power in you and for you”

Our Bible verse for today: “Lord, set up a guard for my mouth; keep watch at the door of my lips. Do not let my heart turn to any evil thing or perform wicked acts with evildoers.” Psalm 141:3 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Watch your mouth”

The other day political activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated. He was murdered as he spoke to a group of college students. As I write this, the police are still searching for the murderer.

I liked Charlie. Although I did not fully agree with everything he said, I admired his brilliant intellect and I especially appreciated his calm and respectful demeanor – even in the face of outrage and vitriol coming from his opponents. Charlie had the ability to keep his emotions in check and to engage in reasoned and measured dialogue even about the most contentious of subjects. That’s an important and needed personality trait that all Christians should develop and maintain – especially in this angry and emotionally charged culture that we live in today. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus called for us to be the peacemakers. Other places in the Bible call for the people of God to be the calm voices of reason when everyone else around us is freaking out.

In the days since the killing there have been some outrageous statements made by some on the political left that the killing of Charlie Kirk was a good thing, and that he deserved it and brought it on himself. They have said that our society will be better now that his voice has been silenced. Such statements are cruel, mean-spirited, and harmful. They are also wrong. We needed his voice.

But there have been equally inappropriate comments made by some on the right. One angry pastor posted this on Facebook shortly after Charlie was shot, “They’ve shot Charlie! That’s it! They have crossed the line! Here we go!!” Such words could easily be taken as a call for revenge. But if we return tit-for-tat, if we respond to their angry words with angry words of our own, if we shoot one of their spokesmen because they shot one of ours, then our actions are no better than their actions. Christians should be the solution to the problem rather than adding to it.

The killing of Charlie Kirk was murder and it was tragic. But the way we respond to it matters. What we say and how we say it matters. The Holy Spirit gives us the ability to respond in ways that bring glory to God and helps to make the situation better not worse. Go ahead and be angry. Something like this should anger us. But also watch your mouth. Ask God to put a guard over your lips. Ask Him to give you self-control and wisdom so you can speak in ways that help rather than hurt.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

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