Have you ever met someone who was void of ill will for anyone? What a great way to be. What a pleasant person to be around. You can be confident that no matter the shortcomings in your life, they will never use them to belittle you. They will only desire your good. You can be confident of their unconditional love. Then there are those who desire the demise of others. Often this is the means they use to elevate themselves. They desire to be thought of highly, and work to achieve this by putting others down. How sad. You can be fairly sure that you will not be exempt, as they continue their destructive course.
There’s not a lot we can do to change others, but if it’s needful, there is something we can do to change ourselves. First, we need to examine ourselves. Why do we say what we say about others?
Are we destructive of others under the guise of “requesting prayer”? Why?
Are we patting out selves on the back for telling the truth about them, but having told it in such a callused way that it brought no good and caused hurt? Why? Could it be that we have forgotten the exhortation “speaking truth in love”?
Are we trying to be funny at the expense of others? Why?
Are we trying to appear smart at the expense of others? Why?
If you find yourself guilty, God will help. Confess to Him your “sin”. Yes, it is a sin when you belittle, hurt and destroy. Ask God to help you hear what you are about to say, before you say it. You may never tame your tongue, but God will help you control it. What’s really needed is a change of heart. A clean heart will go a long way in giving you constructive words for others; words that build up and encourage them.