You Stink
“You Stink.” How often have we heard those words and just laughed and thought it was wonderful. We were so excited about the person telling us the good news. It was they way they told us. They weren’t mad at us or upset with us, they just were making conversation. Usually it is followed by more explanation such as, “You are such a little stinker. We better go change your diaper.”
There is a world of difference in our mother telling us that at two weeks old and our best friend telling us. Later it won’t seem like such good news. Later it will be very hurtful but for the short time in our life when we were completely helpless we loved it when someone would talk to us. It didn’t really matter what they said, it was the way they said it. They always had the same playful tone of joy and love. It is the way it is said and the timing that made it good.
Later when our boss tells us, “we stink” as an employee he won’t have the same tone in his voice. When a member of our family tells us, “we stink” as a parent it won’t have the same love and affection as our mother. How we take the news depends on the way it is said.
When someone tells us we made a mistake how do we take it? It usually depends on the way they say it. It depends on whether they are listening to how we respond or not. If they are ready to help us resolve the mistake then we will listen without being defensive. If they are accusing us to tell us how horrible a person we are then we will turn off all communication with them.
When someone tells us about heaven and how to get there it usually involves confronting us with our sin. How it is done makes all the difference in the way we respond to God. How would God say tell us of our sin if he were talking to us directly?
It is easy to see how Jesus responded to people. To the ones who were looking he told them what was expected and allowed them to respond with what they would do. He told Zaccheus that he must have dinner at his house. It made Zaccheus think whether he was worthy to have someone like Jesus at his house. He could hear the crowd around accuse him of his sin. He responded to Jesus with repentance. To the Pharisees and religious hypocrites of his day Jesus responded with stories of white washed tombs and accusations of their hypocrisy. The soft approach would not get through. The hard approach didn’t either.
The way it is said may depend on our heart. If we are a helpless baby the words are soft. If we are an irresponsible vagrant taking advantage of everyone we can, the words may be harsh. The question is not whether we stink or not. It is how will someone be able to approach us so that we will be willing to change.
Terry Singleton
Pulpit Minister
Sunset Church of Christ
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