Friendly Fire

Friendly Fire

By Joel B.

Matt 15:17-19 Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:

Friends, today I’m going to talk to you about friendly fire. What do I mean by “friendly fire?” Well I’m referring to those times when we says things to people dear to us when we wish we would’ve just kept out mouth shut. Those times when we say hurtful things to a friend, a child, or maybe even a parent who was trying to give us a bit of tough love.

Friendly fire isn’t limited to calling names. It can also be about being a busy body, or a gossiper. Someone who goes around telling half-truths about everybody else’s business. These things can be very hurtful and cause gaps in relationships. Sometimes we don’t think about how these things will impact someone until it’s too late. Not only can it severe relationships, but it can lead to backlash, or what I would call “unfriendly fire.”

The Holy Bible tells us in James 3:8-10 that the tongue can be full of deadly poison, and that people may curse others with the same tongue they use to bless God. This of course should not be so. We should offer encouragement and praise to others. We should lift each other up to the Lord and bless one another in Christ’s name.

So my friends, lets avoid both friendly and unfriendly fire. Lets lift up one another in Christ. If you see someone shooting off their mouth, remind them that they’re cursing with the same tongue they should be using to praise God and others. Lets also keep our hearts pure, so that our tongues will follow. If you see someone firing off at the mouth, remind them of what the Bible has to say about the tongue and don’t be afraid to let someone know they’re crossing boundaries they shouldn’t be crossing. Just make sure you’re not letting off friendly fire yourself when you do this. Thank you for reading my friends and God bless.