Heard Anything Good Lately?

Good morning and welcome to Our Daily Walk.

Audio version at http://tinyurl.com/3dufjm

In a typical day most people behave, obey the laws, love each other and generally do what is right. But what do we see at the start of the newscast or on the headlines in the paper? It is generally bad news. Murder, robbery, tragedy, infidelity, scandal, lies. After such a steady diet of bad news we may even forget that most people really are good.

Bad news sells newspapers. Salacious details of marital infidelity and deviant behavior draw huge audiences to daytime talk shows. Reality programs on TV are geared towards the sometimes brutal and unloving elimination of contestants. And don’t even get me going on the behavior of athletes and celebrities!

We live in a society that thrives on bad news and scandalous details. Gone are the days when the good guys always won and when common sense morality guided our actions. People actually root for the bad guys today and call it entertainment. Wouldn’t the world be a better place if we heard more about good things than bad things?

It would appear in many ways that our world has been turned upside down. What was universally rejected as sinful behavior years ago is now openly flaunted as acceptable.

Rejection of the traditional family model in favor of quick divorces and co-habitation promised free love, fewer hang-ups and more happiness. But instead we have record levels of broken homes, children without parents, rampant spreading of diseases, etc.

We live in a nation with unrivaled wealth, freedom and standards of living. But these do not guarantee righteous living. True happiness and satisfaction of life can only come through obedience to God. If our world would have followed God’s instructions we wouldn’t be in the shape that we find ourselves in today.

Unfortunately the appetite we have developed for bad news is not restricted to entertainment or news. A few Christians seem determined to know only the bad things about others. Granted, sin must be confronted and corrected, but I speak here more in terms of gossip, backbiting and other speech that is not intended to improve a given situation, but rather to exploit and expose it.

Just like in the news, the majority of people will be good, do well, and live honestly. But the ones who gain our attention are usually the ones that have done something wrong.

Listen to what Paul says in Ephesians 4:29, 31 and 32.

Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.

Earlier in verse 15 Paul encourages us to speak the truth in love. Of course, sometimes that truth may hurt as it is told to others, but when it is delivered in love and with the right motivation a worthy goal can still be reached.

Paul struggled with how some would react to his admonitions and corrections. In Galatians 4:16 he said, “Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?” Surely Paul never intended his words to be malicious or purposely hurtful. Yet he recognized that if his good intentions on correction were not clearly demonstrated the people could turn and consider him an enemy.

Friends, don’t be drawn into Satan’s plan to devour one another with our speech. Rather, seek out the good in one another. Jesus died for each one of us and God is patiently waiting for all of mankind to repent and obey. That’s good news for a world full of bad news. Have you heard anything good lately? Use it for edification!

On Our Daily Walk today, may we seek to be encouragers of others as we speak the truth in love, correct with gentleness and persuade others to find the grace of God in the gospel of Jesus Christ. May we set our minds to let our words be used for good, whether in correction or praise.

Our thought for the day: “The man who cannot be angry at evil usually lacks enthusiasm for good.”

May God bless you on your daily walk.

© Our Daily Walk, Mike Baker, 2007. Permission is granted to copy these articles provided they are not sold and the author's name and copyright are included.