Imagebearer’s Weblog

Wisdom from Superman

Today I was watching Superman with Samuel on YouTube and Superman made this statement.

“I never allow myself to lose control, because someone could get killed.”

There is great wisdom in this. Today and almost every day we hear news stories of how people have lost control and gone on a rampage. We have witnessed this again this week with the tragedy in Tuscon. I know this incident as many of them involves someone who is mentally ill. However, we are seeing this so much.

Many times it is a person losing control on the highway and road rage occurs. We see it when people lose their jobs and they are upset at the people they work with and for.

But in this statement I see an even more subtle sermon. People get hurt and many times their spirit is killed when we lose control of our tongues. So many times we are so quick to speak and not think of what we are saying. This doesn’t have to be a major thing in our eyes. Here are some areas I have witnessed this recently,

Bad weather has cause the school personnel to have to make a call on closing or not closing school. I have seen so many ugly remarks against school personnel, no matter what decision they make. We need to maintain control and remember it is not us who has to make that call and we need to trust the person or persons making that call has our children’s best interest at heart.

Bad weather causing church services to be canceled. Again, be thankful you are not having to make the decision. It is a hard call when the police and emergency personnel are saying, “please stay off the roads” and you have people who want to have service.

Sports. I am not a huge sports fan but I try to stay in the game, so to speak. I have seen so many ugly comments about teams, players, and coaches. These people are human beings, creations of God and they deserve to be treated as such. Matter of fact, it is pretty funny that they are getting mega bucks to play and we can’t get paid to play but we are making a call on their performance???

I could go on and on, but lets remember, Always maintain control. Never quickly judge a situation before weighing every option. Never criticize a person if you haven’t had the opportunity to walk in their shoes. Stop and think about what you are going to say and if it is critical, spur of the moment, don;t say it. This goes for facebook and twitter as well. Once you put it out there people see it and sometimes it tarnishes what people think of you.

“I never allow myself to lose control, because someone could get killed.” Superman

It may not physically kill the person you pass judgement on or criticize, but it can wound deeply.

Think about it.

Ronnie

January 14, 2011 Posted by imagebearer | Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Take Every Thought Captive

I have spoken to many people who struggle with the same thing I struggle with, taking every thought captive. That’s right, as a preacher I still have to take control of the thoughts that run through my mind.

However, I realized something this week in this scripture.

2 Corinthians 10: 1-6

By the meekness and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you—I, Paul, who am “timid” when face to face with you, but “bold” when away! ² I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world. ³ For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. ⁴ The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. ⁵ We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. ⁶ And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.

When Paul wrote this, he did not say, “Don’t have bad thoughts.” Paul says here, you will have bad thoughts, just like I do. Yes Paul here is telling us, bad thoughts are going to come, it is part of the human mind. However, when thoughts come, we are to take them captive, take control of them. If they are bad then refuse to dwell on those bad thoughts. If those thoughts are negative, refuse to dwell on them. If those thoughts go against scriptures teaching then state the truth and walk on.

We can do things to guide our thoughts, such as reading the Bible and other good books. By watching things that are uplifting and staying away from questionable material. The old saying is true, “garbage in, garbage out.” However, take courage in the fact that Paul nor Jesus ever said we were bad for having bad thoughts, but we have been equipped with the way of escape. Our thoughts do not have to control us.

This is Good News!

Ronnie

January 14, 2011 Posted by imagebearer | Uncategorized | 2 Comments