So I’ve been convicted.  Not in the “judicial, prison bars” type way, but in the “deep down inside my heart” type way.

Reading through 1 John 3:11-24, a thought came to my mind:  Love spreads.  I couldn’t get this thought out of my mind.  Then it unfolded:  Love spreads.  Bitterness contracts.  Love spreads.  Maliciousness decays.

Just look at Jesus, Mother Theresa, Martin Luther King Jr. and the kid on “Pay it forward.”

Love spreads.

So in honor of that fact, I challenged my staff today to try cutting all negative communication out of their vocabulary (including innuendo).
Here are a few things I mean by negative communication

Sarcasm
Negativity (that is not needed to express a valid point)
Bitterness about another person or a negative circumstance (like someone who does something “stupid” or an electronic device that wont do what you want it to)
Joking around and busting
Talking to someone with malicious intent about someone else
rolling of the eyes when someone’s name is mentioned

I know that’s a pretty big list and a wide variety of things, but I believe that if we can change our culture, we can change our future.  We’ll call it the “Shut your mouth” challenge.  Of course, you don’t have to shut your mouth permanently, but it may be easier if you’ve developed a habit of negativity in your communication.

My prayer is that this would impact our community with love and  that love would spread beyond the walls of our church, and make an impact that reaches into our community for Jesus Christ!

Would you consider taking up this challenge for the next month with us?