Sarcasm has become who we are... at least in my generation. I can't seem to have a decent conversation with someone in my generation without one form of sarcasm or another popping up. It's just become the norm. A simple "how are you?" is replied with "serious you don't want to know." Why have we become this generation that is not careful with our tongue?
Sarcasm is a form of joke people say, but I really think it's cutting down people... and I'm guilty of it too, but it's just down right mean.
The other day I made a mistake with a friend. I had some people over and we were all joking around, which of course sometimes goes a little too far. So I had to throw in my two sense... and I really ended up hurting someone's feelings. I had to go back that night and apologize for my remarks.
Why do we say things when we have to go back and take it back even though when we take it back, it's really not taken back? Forgiven maybe, but it can never be taken back.
Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me... that is FALSE.
Some comments that have been made on my behalf have scarred me... God has really worked in me to see the truth of how He sees me, but nonetheless, those words stuck with me for a long time and have played a part of who I was before truth was told. For example...
1. She's one of the guys. - seriously it was probably a compliment... I fit right in, but the person probably didn't know I was struggling with wanting to be real girly and seen as a girl... not just one of the guys. I just ended up thinking no one would ever think of me as a girl.
2. Her arm is as big as my wife's thigh. - maybe this person thought it was funny, but I went home and cried that night. I never thought I was that big and I know that I'm not that big and this person thinking he was so funny, put my self-esteem right down to the pit.
3. This is not of me, but I've heard people say in a large group, "this would be so much more fun if so and so were not here", even though that person is right there.
Now seriously, in any of these examples was the person being loving? I've said this before, but we never know what kind of status that person is in... People always thought of me as this confident girl throughout my life actually, but I was a mess throughout high school and some of college, and if those people that said the above would have been more encouraging and loving (now let me tell you it was no stranger that said this... they were pretty significant people in my life) I don't think I would have struggled so much in those times of my life.
So I now look at it... We never know where a person is... we don't know what they are really struggling with... we don't even know if something happened right before the person we meet arrives... so to say something stupid because we think it's funny, well... i have to say that's not loving.
How much heartache, counseling, and low self-esteem could be avoided if we could just be loving with our words.
I'm not saying this of all people in my generation, but I see it a lot... facebook, e-mails, face-to-face interactions. Not only that but in what we choose to watch... all our sarcasm, demeanor... it's in the shows, movies, we watch. I mean... again, I'm guilty of this too, but we laugh hysterically at how the shows portray homosexuals... we just laugh and laugh and even repeat the humor/sarcastic remarks made during that show... it become the thing to say... but really... come on people we are all supposed to be about love.... accepting... thinking before we say something...
So as I close this... I just want to say... I am convicted to guard my tongue... I want my tongue to be about praising God, uplifting people, edifying things... Please pray for me as I am challenged to do this exact thing... It's a challenge, like I said with it being all around, but I pray I will be more like Christ as I let Him take control of my thoughts and tongue.
