Encouragement - A Time to Speak
This blog is written by Mark Morris.
Recently, my wife and I were privileged to attend a program at our youngest grandson’s school. It’s a program called STEM and is an acronym for science, technology, English, and math. Each year the children present a project dealing with one of the subjects.
This year our grand child presented a lesson on the invention of the air conditioner. His presentation was first so we waited patiently at the front door to enter the building. While waiting, a gentleman that I had been acquainted with for sometime was in line with us. He also had a fifth grader waiting to go in for the presentation.
He had raised his grandchildren due to the parents drug use having prevented them from being in the children’s life. He told us that he had taken this fifth grader to raise since I had seen him last.
During our conversation, he stated something that saddened me. He stated, “If it wasn’t for ‘this one’ we would leave this town, but we are here to stay for her schooling.” The little girl never flinched or showed any surprised by the statement. It appeared quite evidently she had heard it before.
As we left, I couldn’t help but wonder how much guilt this fifth grader was caring. It wasn’t her fault, but she was carrying the guilt anyway.
How often do we say things that have a negative effect on the people that we influence around us?
Proverbs 23:16 states “I will celebrate when you speak what is right.”NLT
Ecclesiastes 3:7. Also states “There is a time to be silent and a time to speak.”
We should use discernment to know what to say, and when to say it. Proverbs 15:23, NLT, “It is wonderful to say the right thing at the right time.”
If the power of life and death is in the words we speak, then we should try to always speak words that will be uplifting and not break our grandchildren down. Paul admonished the Corinthian church to use their spiritual gifts only for the edification of the church.
It is my opinion that our home should be a model of the church in the sense that it is a place of peace and safety and a place that when the world strikes at our children, they can feel safe and accepted and loved.
I realize there must be discipline and structure. But let’s not forget that these are our precious heritage that the Lord has entrusted to us. Let’s speak life. it’s not their fault that they are in this situation.
They no doubt would rather be with their parents in a perfect world. Let’s speak life and build their life into what Jesus would have it to be.