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There is this adage that says, “Words once spoken cannot be taken back.”  Words have contributed a great deal to all conflicts and human destruction in history.

Adolf Hitler predicted “the annihilation of the Jewish race in Europe in the event of another world war”, in a speech at the Reichstag on 30 January 1939. By 1941, both the world war and the annihilation unfolded. I leave you to check how they started. We sometimes underrate the power of words, especially those we put out there.

Jesus when confronted by the scribes and Pharisees, regarding the fact that his disciples did not wash their hands before eating, rebuked them and called them hypocrites. He later told the crowds:

“Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.”( Matthew 15:11)

BBC has an article on their website called “Five ‘hot mic’ moments that got leaders in trouble.” which highlights some of the things some leaders said, thinking their microphones were off,  that they later regretted. Wikipedia also has a page titled “Hot Mic” with a more detailed list of famous gaffes!

The good thing about verbal gaffes is that, they gradually fade from people’s memory. I wonder how many  people still remember Gordon Brown’s “bigoted woman” comment, or Jacques Chirac’s “mad cow” comment. But the internet is different; it has a big memory! The kind of content people put out on the internet these days makes me worried. Some actually appear to be competing on who would post the most ridiculous content!

I don’t think some of us know how the internet works. As an internet back-end practitioner, I can confidently tell you that things you post on the internet, even messages you send “privately” on the internet, are stored on at least one device you are not aware of; but very often many devices called “backups” or “mirrors servers”; sometimes temporarily, but often for longer periods, and in many cases permanently! These are usually stored not for malicious purposes, but for disaster recovery. But once there is storage, whatever it is can come up at a time and place you don’t expect. The internet is the biggest brain on earth currently, and it never forgets!

Lately, there are certain employers and foreign missions that ask for your social media handles when you apply to them, and they include your activities on social media, and the internet in general, in making decisions about you.

I am not writing to scare anyone from using technology. I am writing this to inform, because knowledge always empowers.

In light of the above, what should we do? Well, Bible has some good advice.

READ Philippians 4:8-9

 Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things                                                  True,                                                                                                                                  Noble,                                                                                              
Reputable,                                                                                                                  Authentic,                                                                                                                        Compelling,                                                                                                                  Gracious.                                                                                                                        The best, not the worst;                                                                             
The beautiful, not the ugly;                                                                                   Things to praise, not things to curse.                                                                Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.  (Philippians 4:8-9 The Message Bible)

The text above is part of the concluding chapter of the letter written by Paul and Timothy to the church in Philippi. They knew that when you fill your mind with good things, you also bring out good things you will not regret later.

When we continuously fill our minds with good things, the toxic things are automatically pushed out, so we end up bringing out only good things; to others, in our interactions, and on the internet.

Jesus said in Matthew 12:35.

“A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.”

What you say, says a lot about you. What are you saying about yourself?

And on the internet, what are you saying about yourself to the whole world, and for posterity?

MEMORY VERSE

“A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things.” (Matthew 12:35)

QUESTIONS

1. What are you telling people, and what are you putting out there? 

2. Do you know that what you say, and put out there shapes opinions about you, sometimes permanently?

PRAYER TIP

Almighty Father, help us to store good treasure in our hearts, so that we bring forth good things..

Written by:
BENNY MALM

For:
TESTIMONY DEVOTIONAL

URGENT CALL

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