“They must not slander others or be heavy drinkers.” Titus 2:3
My mom always used to say if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all. I’m guessing she learned that from the Bible. The truth is, what you say about other people actually says a lot more about you than it does about them.
Your words matter, yet the world we live in loves to throw hurtful words around like they’re nothing.
The old saying goes like this, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” But is that really true?
The Bible is clear on this. If you follow Jesus, you should not slander others, meaning you should not talk poorly of anyone. You should also avoid being a heavy drinker. Too much alcohol can impair your judgment and alcohol dependency or alcohol abuse can destroy your life and hurt those around you.
But before you start saying, “I don’t have a drinking problem” let me ask you this: Are there any other areas of your life where you might be at risk of becoming a heavy drinker? Not just of alcohol, but what about screen time?
It’s the abundance of our consumption that is so concerning. How many shots of social media do you take in a day? How many episodes of a TV show do you consume on a regular basis? Can you take that phone out of your pocket and walk away from it for a few days? A few hours? A few minutes?
If not, you might have a drinking problem. Overconsumption of screens can impair your judgment and if not dealt with properly it can destroy your life and hurt those around you.
It’s not lost on me that you’re reading this on a screen. Not all screens are bad, but too much of anything can become a problem.
So today, make time to walk away from your screen. Go find someone nearby and use your words to encourage them.