After a natural disaster strikes relief teams come in to assist victims. Generally there are at least two phases to disaster relief work. First, rapid response teams come in to clear the damages and make the areas safe. Then sometime later teams come in to rebuild what was lost.
My wife and I have served on disaster relief teams in both phases. Since I am not skilled in construction, I work better in the rapid response phase. I am able to remove sheetrock, flooring, and damaged personal property.
Unfortunately, I find that my personality and words are also better at destruction rather than construction. It is easy for me to find something to complain about or someone to criticize. Speaking to tear down is my natural bent. Based on listening to other people speak, I am sure that I am not the only person with this verbal tendency. It is only by really listening to others and asking God to guard my mouth that I have experienced growth in this area. He is helping me to speak gently and seek to encourage others.
I Thessalonians 5:11 says, “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up.” If we can lift the countenance of other people through encouraging words, we are building a better world for all of us. There is already far too much bickering and complaining in our world. Let us ask God to guard our mouths and give us gentle and encouraging words to speak.
Reluctant Retiree 