Nothing Unkind

 

What if we simply had a self-imposed moratorium on saying anything unkind to or about anyone or any group of people?

 

What if, when tempted to criticize a group or a person, we looked for seeds of that same fault in ourselves and started working on it?

 

What if, when feeling the need to talk about temptation and sin, we used our own struggles as the illustration of how God can help us overcome?

 

What if we were willing to take the worst seat, be slighted, spend and be spent, and practice all the other calls to simple, humble, gracious living that Jesus and the apostles taught?

 

What if we simply decided not to take offense and not to seek retaliation in any form for a season?

 

Maybe a month? A year?

 

I think it might work so well for us and the peace that it brought to our hearts might be so compelling that we might decide to extend those times until it became a lifetime lifestyle?

 

And what if, when we saw a brother or sister on a path of self-destruction, we refrained from discussing that with anyone else, but took first steps to go to that person and offer our help out of the trap?

 

What if?

 

I think we could render lots of discussions and debates moot and find that lots of logjams would simply break loose and let the water flow.