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"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such, there is no law."
(Galatians 5:22-23)
Bart Barber serves as the pastor of the First Baptist Church of Farmersville, TX. He is very bright and quick witted. He posted a tweet on Twitter last week that was typical Bart, and I loved it.
"Can I share with you nine principles for success with social media that will work for any Christian? Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control."
Pastor Bart is correct. So much damage has been done and reputations harmed because of harsh words sent over Twitter and Facebook. Words have power, and they can either build up or tear down. As Proverbs 18:21 puts it so memorably: "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit." It is so unfortunate when people lash out at one another and write things they never would say if speaking to the other person face to face.
Why is it that so many (Christians, unfortunately, do this as well) write such harsh things about people, many of whom they do not even know? I think part of the answer is, those who write such things are themselves hurting. The old saying is true here as well: hurt people hurt people. I think another reason people launch into these unholy diatribes is, they like to be heard. The band Need to Breathe has a line in their song "Washed by the Water" that goes like this: "People started talking just to hear their own voice."
Whether you are posting, tweeting, speaking, writing, etc., I think it would be very wise to heed Pastor Barber's advice and ask: Is what I am about to write or say in line with the fruit of the Spirit? If yes, then by all means, write away! But if no, then put down the pen, close the computer, and put away your phone. Words are like toothpaste that has been squeezed from the tube. You cannot take it back once it's out there. True, you can delete the post, but the damage has already been done to those who have had the misfortune of reading it.
Instead of attacking and rebuking, what if we all tried to build up and speak the truth in love? What if we toned down the polemical rhetoric? I think being civil, respectful, and kind always wins the day. Christians always have the responsibility to speak the truth, but never are we given the right to be mean.
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