Zephaniah 1 – Speedy Riddance

Haggai 1 – I am with you

Zechariah 1 – Good words and comfortable words

Malachi 1 – A father and a master

 

I read a Calvin and Hobbes that had Calvin listing all the things that bugged him. Hobbes suggested that he add “Overly negative people” to the list and Calvin understood (eventually) that Hobbes meant Calvin. I sometimes wonder if I can seem overly negative. (Sarcasm) I was thinking that someone was being overly negative, and I needed to tell them, but I did not want a big blow up and wanted to make sure I would not be seen as the person with a plank in their eye coming down on someone with “not a plank” in their eye.

The term speedy riddance came from the King James version I was using on vacation. It seemed to apply to the overly negative people phrase with the expectation that people want to get away from overly negative people as soon as possible. Good riddance keeps running through my head, but speedy seems to carry the possibility that the speedy riddance might not be all good. That negative person maybe asking for help. People do sometimes need it and not know how to ask.

The “A Father and A Master” phrase initially brings to mind not just the fact that God is our father, and we want Him to care for us, but also the fact that He is our Master, and we want to serve Him and obey Him. The whole pride drive gets in the way of this second aspect often. Similarly, Christ is our savior and saves us, but He is also our master, and we are to obey His commands. Repent and follow. They go together and seem two different things, but the act of turning from following sin to following Christ is really just one action. One command is to love others, especially those in need.

God says repeatedly, “I am with you” and does so because we are forgetful. Acting on this is not a one and done event, but a continuous journey as long as we live. I often look back to how many things I could have done wrong as a kid where the only prevention I had was solely due to the acts of God and not my will nor my desire. God was with me, He is with, me and He will continue to be with me. And I can share Him with others who do not know they can have Him or how to.

So, if God is with me, I should be able to provide good words and comfortable words to the overly negative person in my life. It is not a matter of let it out and let the chips fall where they may. I am supposed to be an adult and I can think through my potential actions and the possible consequences before I decide on a course of action. Negative words cannot be taken back and they can not really ever be made up for. But as God is love, I can be love for those I encounter and I can use His strength to encourage and correct others with love. Good and comfortable words.

One of my wife’s friends put out a plea for help on facebook and it looks like it saved her life. She was struggling. Someone read and took action. The friend had issues and they were deep. As Christians, we are called to not push people away because they are overly negative, but we are to see if and how we can help. Hobbes is only a stuffed animal, but sometimes he has a point.

I am not sinless and no one else is either, but it is not a pass for me to treat them poorly, it is an opportunity for me to be humble, and love, and lift up. So let’s not be the overly negative six year old that Calvin is. Let us be with others and provide good and comfortable words. Especially when they are needed.