Darth Vader said, “I am your Father!”
Ferris’ teacher (Ben Stein) said, “Bueller…Bueller…Bueller…”
Michael Corleone said, “Keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer.”
Forrest Gump said, “Momma always said, ‘Life is like a box of chocolates.’”
Rocky Balboa said, “Yo, Adrian…I did it!!”
Spiderman’s Uncle Ben said, “with great power comes great responsibility.”
Jedi Master Yoda said, “Do or do not! There IS no ‘try’.” (yeah, I threw in 2 Star Wars lines)
Annnnd Rhett Butler said something close to “Frankly, my dear…I just don’t care a whole lot.”
Iconic movie lines. The lines we remember. Maybe not the last line of the movie, or even the only memorable line. I mean, seriously, I included two Star Wars lines and neither was “May the Force be with you.” (ahhh, there it is) And I imagine that most people reading this little devotional have either heard those lines themselves, or heard someone else quoting them. People can carry on an entire three-hour conversation simply quoting lines from movies and television…or song lyrics.
As an off-the-topic aside, they did similar things in biblical days. They would ask each other questions in Scripture, then answer in Scripture. AND they knew the Scriptural text so well, that the Scriptures they quoted weren’t always the verses they were actually asking about – but the one either before or after it. The person being asked would KNOW the verse the first guy was REALLY meaning, and would give his answer…but not the verse he meant, but the verse either before or after it. And back and forth they’d volley. Dollar word of the day is “Remezes”, the Jewish art of questions and answers. And when Jesus was 12 and lost and then found in the temple, what does Luke 2:46-47 say of those in the synagogue? “Then, after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers.” Interesting…Jesus was asking questions and giving answers. Remezes. J
Meanwhile…back at the devotional, Ben Cartwright was about to tell Hoss and Little Joe about a quote from Maya Angelou, “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” And not that my piddling little devotionals puts me in a class with Maya Angelou, but if there’s one thing that I’VE learned, it’s that sometimes people will never…EVER…forget what you say. James 3 says that the tongue is a burning fire. We can burn huge forests to the ground with a single fire. We see proof of that in California almost every year, it seems. And we see it every day in our daily lives. One person can say one thing, and we’ll remember it and hold onto it forever. People remember the words we say. Especially when they’re stinging, hateful words. Now imagine that you’ve said something disgustingly hateful, and it’s the last thing you ever say to that person.
Several years ago, Andrea and I went to a Razorbacks game with some friends…well, friend and an acquaintance. The acquaintance was a friend of the friend, and was someone that I considered to be a huge annoyance. (and yes, I get the irony…I don’t need to have it pointed out that I’m sitting here calling someone ELSE a huge annoyance, I got it thankya ver’ much). But I’ll get to me and my issues here in short order. But this guy was just obnoxious and crude, and I generally didn’t enjoy his company most of the time. That is, until that weekend. We all had a good time, and upon returning home and unloading the truck, I shook his hand and said, “Hey, man, I had a great time…you were almost human this weekend!” Yup, that’s what I told him. And I yucked it up like it was the funniest thing I’d ever said. And it was the last time (that I can remember) that I ever talked to him. Simply didn’t cross paths again. Not because of what I said just happened to not cross again, but it’s something I’ve regretted saying. But What If what I said was something even worse? What if I threw out some expletive-filled insult and then promptly quit living? Is that something that I’d want people to remember about me?
Our light shines even when we’re not actively shining it. Adrian Rogers is still calling people to Christ. Adrian Rogers is still having sermons played on the radio, still has books being sold, still sharing the gospel message of Jesus Christ, and has been dead as a hammer since 2005. And just like his, your light will shine and your testimony will live on long after you’re gone. People still go to Talladega and fly their Dale Earnhardt #3 flags. And after you’re gone, people will carry on your legacy. Friends will talk about you. Family will talk about you. And somebody that you said something hateful to will talk about you. Matthew 12:36 & 37 speaks to that, too. For those that think that only the red words are important…it only matters what Jesus himself said…well, here’s what Jesus said, “36 But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. 37 For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” Did you catch that? Every. Careless. Word. Gotta watch that tongue. Want another one? Take 1 Peter 4:11 out for a spin…If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. I don’t need to elaborate on that one…pretty much speaks for itself. But I ask myself, “did God ever tell someone they were almost human?”
It’s worse when we’re teenagers. Most of the regrets of things said come from my high school years. Like most of us, I said some things to people that still haunt me. I’m like Kevin Bacon’s character in the movie Flatliners in that regard. That’s the movie where several medical students take turns killing themselves and then bringing themselves back to life. (nice plot, huh?) Then each one, in turn, is haunted by ghosts of their past sins. Kevin Bacon’s character is haunted by a girl he tormented as a kid. He and several other children circled her while insulting every single thing about her…her clothes, her looks, you name it. His haunt is that same little girl is continually haunting him by hurling the same sort of insults at him. His solution is to look her up, drive to her house and apologize to her. She tries to brush it off. She says things like “oh, that’s just how kids are” and he tells her that under no circumstances was that ok, that it was wrong of them, and they shouldn’t have done it…ever. She offers forgiveness, and he accepts it, and she thanks him for apologizing. Ghost goes away.
Ever felt like doing that? I have. And in the days of social media, it’s easier than ever to do it. Why haven’t I? I don’t know. Listen for the Whisper that says you can still make amends. You can make amends before it’s too late to make them. Maybe the last thing that someone remembers about you will be that you were a Christian that said, “I’m sorry.” Maybe they’ll remember that…instead of remembering that you were someone that called themselves a Christian and then said, “hey, man, you were almost human this weekend”. Or someone that said something even worse. Contrary to what Maya Angelou says, sometimes people remember exactly what we say. And not only do they remember exactly what we say, they remember that we said it forever. So while we’re Listening for the Whisper that tells us that we can still apologize for something we’ve said, let’s listen for the one that tells us to not say it in the first place.
~Dwayne
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