A long time
ago, I was taught you only get one chance to make a first impression. Now,
usually the first words out of a person’s mouth are generally the ones people
will remember the most about you. A brand new mother looks upon her newborn
child, revels at the beauty of her child and, in almost every case, expresses
her joy and love. First words generally are the most lasting. I remember my
first words to my son; “he is perfect, I love you so much my lil buddy”. There
are other occasions where it is not only the words but the tone we use that can
communicate so much. I say hello to my friends much differently than I do a
complete stranger. If we are on the phone, we need to communicate our visual cues
with our voice and the person on the other end can hear and respond
appropriately. This is what truly scares me about our society today. It is so
easy to lash out and hurt people through the anonymity of the keyboard. We are
unable to communicate cues through social media and leave the interpretation up
to the other person. In many cases, relationships are destroyed through these
misinterpretations. It took me years to understand that I must engage the
thought process before opening my mouth and engaging my tongue.
I have
taken to reading scripture in a new way. For years, I have read my Bible and know
what it will say next but was recently challenged to read scripture as if it
were the first time I read it. Read the Truth as though it were the first time
you had met God and this was going to be your first impression of the King of
kings. Consider the verses we are going to focus on this Sunday. The writer
declares with exuberance “Oh, how I love your law!” Ps 119:97 NIV. Can you see
the smile on the face of the person as they declare the joy and love for our
Creator? Their face was probably lit up and there was a smile that could not be
quashed. Now consider this; take a moment to absorb that joy in the declaration
and think about how we can communicate that same joy to those around us as we
go about our daily duties. Would it make a difference in the lives of others
around us? Would this also make a difference in your own day? It is so easy to
find negativity in life, find someone who is seeking to share their joy and
drag them into this same pit. It only takes a few callous comments and suddenly
misery has company. First words can make the day or destroy the day. My
question is this; do you share your joy or find joy in other’s misery? Take
time to consider your first words of the day, your first impression for someone
else’s new day.
This
Sunday, we continue our journey through Psalm 119:97-104. We invite
you to join us if you can at 10:30 MST on Sunday or watch live online on
Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/MainAvenueFellowship/ )
or view it afterwards on our website (www.mainavefellowship.blogspot.ca).
Blessings
Pastor Todd
Pastor Todd
No comments:
Post a Comment