Scars

I got a great present for Father’s Day. Kade was sitting in my lap, drawing on a piece of paper that was on a clip board. I was focused on watching a movie on TV. Once he finished his masterpiece, he decided to turn the clip board around. “Look Daddy!” he exclaimed as he shoved the clipboard towards me. It was then that it happened. The metal ring on the top of the clipboard struck me in the face, missing my left eye by about an inch. It freaked me out, and Kade felt badly about it. The good news is that I survived. Kristi tried to console me. All she could say was “Happy Fathers Day!”

The truth is, I am not nearly as worried about the scars Kade gives me as I am about the scars I might give him. In reality, we all need to be careful how we impact others around us by our actions, attitudes, and words. It’s so easy to forget that what we say and do really affect others in both positive and negative ways. Paul put it this way in 1 Corinthians. 8:9 (NLT): But you must be careful with this freedom of yours. Do not cause a brother or sister with a weaker conscience to stumble.

That’s why I don’t drink alcohol, watch rated R movies, listen to mainstream music, or wear two piece bathing suits (just kidding on that one). I want to be careful not to say or do anything that would “scar” another person by hindering them from coming to Christ or moving forward in their current relationship with Him.

I want to challenge you to examine your current attitudes, actions, and words. Are they honoring to God? Are they helping those around you or are they scaring everyone in your vicinity? Let’s choose to make a difference by changing the small things we do that affect others in enormous ways.