Did you catch the silly news report a couple of weeks ago? It seems that a bug flew into a lady's mouth. She did good, well, kind of. She spit it out ... but then she did bad. She sprayed bug spray into her mouth. Now she's in the hospital. We're told she'll recover, and probably will not have any serious brain damage.
My first thought upon hearing this report was how ridiculous. While a bug might have hurt her, the bug spray could have killed her. Also, she sprayed the bug after it was gone.
I wonder if sometimes we have reacted in a similar manner. Some false idea comes along, and we examine it and spit it out. We speak out against it and do what is in our power to correct it. But then we practice overkill. We harp on it. We won't let it die. We spray toxic words and methods to make sure that it is gone. If we're not careful, we will be in danger of killing the church (Galatians 5:15).
God's people are not to enjoy a "ruckus" (2 Timothy 2:14, 24; c.f. Matthew 12:19-20; Phil. 2:3-4). When we major in poison, we seem to be enjoying a ruckus. When we spend all of our time with our finger on the bug spray button and little or none of it on teaching the lost and encouraging the saved to faithfulness, we aren't much different than the lady we're laughing about.
(Revelation 2:2; 1 John 1:10-11). You wouldn't let a bug fly around inside your mouth for a minute. But then get on to God's business of "seeking and saving the lost" (Luke 19:10).
-- Dale Jenkins - Nashville, TN --
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