You may have not noticed or cared, but I didn’t write last week. When I skip a week, it’s usually because of one of two reasons: I didn’t have anything to say or what I had to say is better left unsaid. Hillary’s emails, Donald’s tape, the presidential debates, and the ensuing social media aftermath left me feeling a little of both, so I chose to pray first and write later.

While I don’t have a list of rules for my writing, if I did, one near the top of the list would be this: My words must be contributing; never contaminating. Because the truth is this:

{ Our culture judges Christ by the content of our Christian conversation. }

And so I have to continually ask myself, “Am I contributing or contaminating?” And I need to continually remind myself, and maybe I’m taking an unfair advantage to remind you, too, because I care so deeply about the Church: Our conversations matter!

• That sarcastic “humor” you post or share – it matters.
• That Facebook post hastily sent in anger or frustration – it matters.
• That link you like or share on Facebook – it matters.
• That tweet throwing more gasoline on an already raging firestorm – it matters.
• That gossip you whisper to a friend – it matters.
• That quick retort or those judgmental words you fire off – it matters.
• That diatribe on the latest injustice in your life – it matters.

I want to encourage you { and hold myself accountable } on a few things:

1. Don’t whisper it, say it, write it, or post it if you wouldn’t want Jesus to see and hear it.
2. Keep it holy, guarding your own reputation, and more importantly, the reputation of Christ.
3. Make the purpose of your “platform” to promote Christ, not self.
4. Don’t like it or share it or buy it unless the person who authored it is also following #1-3 above… and check first!

When Jesus was about to leave this earth, He told his disciples, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spriit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” { Matthew 28:18-20a }

We have one purpose.
We have one platform.

You remember that song Pass it On? Well, that song was about the spark of the Gospel, but Jesus’s half-brother reminds us, “It only take a spark, remember, to set off a forest fire. A careless or wrongly placed word out of your mouth can do that. By our speech we can ruin the world, turn harmony into chaos, throw mud on a reputation, send the whole world up in smoke and go up in smoke with it, smoke right from the pit of hell… With our tongues we bless God our Father; with the same tongues we curse the very men and women He made in His image. Curses and blessings out of the same mouth!” { James 3:5-10 MSG }

Curses and blessings out of the same mouth.
Our culture judges Christ by the content of our conversation.
Let’s contribute, not contaminate.

know Him make Him known.