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Have you heard the story about
the preacher who was trying to illustrate the ill effects of alcohol
and tobacco? In order to illustrate this fact, the preacher
put a worm in some alcohol and a worm in a sealed jar filled with
cigarette smoke. By the end of his lesson, the preacher showed
the assembly that both the worm in the alcohol and the worm in the
cigarette smoke were dead. Looking to the assembly, the
preacher then asked, "Someone please tell me, what does this
mean?" To which a young boy replied by saying, "If you drink
and smoke, you won't have worms."
Well, I'm pretty confident that this is
not the lesson the preacher was trying to illustrate. But what
this little story does do is reminds us that communication is not
always easy. Sometimes, we say things and what is understood
is exactly opposite the message we were trying to
convey.
In view of this, let me offer this
suggestion.
- Before you take offense at the words
of another, please give them the benefit of the doubt (1
Corinthians 13:7). Love demands no less. Before taking
offense, entertain the possibility that you misunderstood what
they were trying to say.
In doing so, not only will it result in
more peace, but it will also be treating another with the same
kindness with which you want to be treated. Give it some
thought. |