BUT IF YOU DO HAVE SOMETHING GOOD TO SAY, SAY IT

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"If you don't have something good to say, then don't say anything" - is a wise statement that no one on the planet seems to be following anymore.  I don't need to point out how vitriolic our society has become. Hate, hate, hate and more hate spewing from hateful, angry hearts. 
So I would like to suggest an alternative.

If you do have something good to say, SAY IT!

I would like to borrow from another famous wise saying and remind us all that:

The only thing necessary for evil speech to triumph is for good speech to remain silent.

I'm not talking about giving a speech at the U.N., because, let's face it, most of us don't have access to the main podium of the U.N. 

I am talking about opening your mouth and actually saying good and encouraging words to the people around you. 

OPEN. YOUR. MOUTH. 

This last week I was able to spend time with two long-time friends.  These women love me and I love them. One of them that I hadn't seen in years said to me, "You look good. Your hair looks great." That's it.  It made my sixty-something self feel hope that my "Quasimodo - Hunchback of Notre Dame Look" is still far in the future.

The other friend remarked that a blog I write about family and marriage is a collection of blogs she has never deleted from her email account.

Today, I wrote this blog.  Her words encouraged me.

Too many of us - jealously? competition? resentment? insecurity? - don't take the time to simply say something good to someone else.  Why? How difficult is it to acknowledge that someone did something good for you, or said something wise to you, or helped you during a dark period in your life?  Would you die if you told a friend she looked good, or does something well?

It's not a mouth thing - it's a heart thing. Jesus said that we speak what's in our hearts. You cannot compliment a woman you are jealous of, or a brother you are angry at, or a husband you do not forgive.

This tragedy of silence is also a good tool of satan to keep us from spreading the GOOD NEWS.

The Gospel is GOOD NEWS.  We don't have to be Bible scholars to be able to say, "No matter what you've done, no matter what you're struggling with, no matter how angry you are at the world and everyone in it - JESUS LOVES YOU."

WE ARE NOT CALLED TO TELL THE WORLD HOW EVIL THEY ARE.  

We are called to tell the world how LOVED they are.

We are called to remind them that while they (and we) were disgusting sinners separated from a holy, loving Father - Christ died for us. 

WOWOW.  GOOD NEWS. GREAT NEWS.

THIS IS GOOD NEWS.  We have something good to say - but we aren't saying it.

AND.. FINALLY... 

open your mouth to tell about the things God has done for you and in you and through you.

You are not called to remain silent.

You have something good to say.

SAY IT.

Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story— those he redeemed from the hand of the foe,

Psalm 107:2