Sarcasm...I speak it fluently

Webster's defines it this way:

noun \ˈsär-ˌka-zəm\

1: a sharp and often satirical or ironic utterance designed to cut or give pain

2: a mode of satirical wit depending for its effect on bitter, caustic, and often ironic language that is usually directed against an individual

I am super quick with a sarcastic quip. Get me in the ring with the titled sarcastic king and I would give him a run for his money. It's a trait I picked up in high school or college. If it was high school, it was refined and perfected in college. You could actually major in sarcasm at my school. Most of the basketball team had it as their major and it was with this crew that I honed my skill.

I remember the time I was at my first meeting with a group of guys who we were going to meet wekly with. It was an accountability/encouragement type of group. Some of these guys I knew, some I met for the first time that night. At the time, not everyone had a cell phone, and in through the door walks Chris who was on the phone. My friend Todd made some sarcastic remark and I jumped right in. When we officially started our group Chris started by saying, "I don't know what everyone else is expecting from this group, but sarcasm is everywhere in my life and I don't want it to be part of this group. When I walked in I was talking to a student who was hurting and you (looking at me) made some sarcastic remark. If that's what this group is going to be about then I don't want to be a part of it." I felt like the BIGGEST LOSER! I apologized and our group started right in and we never uttered a sarcastic remark from that point on.

It was a really good thing for me. I needed that. I have seen sarcasm tear people down and hurt them tremendously. Usually my sarcasm has been directed at friends and in a way that I know that we all are OK.

Words are powerful. They can change the life of the person you give them to. Will those words be words that push someone in a direction of encouragement or will you hurt them deeply? Sometimes even just a hello and a smile can change someones day.

This year, I am planning on continuing to reign in my tongue. I have been on a journey to lessen the language of sarcasm for several years now and I want to continue that journey.

I want to be someone who builds other people up. I want to be known for my words of encouragement. I don't want to see someones eyes drop because of something I say. So 2011...here I come.

Small things can affect things greatly

What are small things that affect things greatly? Here are a few to get you thinking:

* Spark starts a fire
* Rudder turns a ship
* Tick can cause lyme disease
* Splinter, turns to infection, turns to gangrene?

It truly is amazing how the little things seem to matter when we really don't think about them until they affect us. The spark and fire piece is what got me thinking about this the other day. I read an article about a golfer who hit his golf ball into a rock, which caused a spark, which caused a 25 acre fire. ou can read more about it here.

There is something about this in the Bible too. Check this out. (James 3:3-12)

³When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. ⁴Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. ⁵Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. ⁶The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
 ⁷All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, ⁸but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
 ⁹With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. ¹⁰Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. ¹¹Can both fresh water and salt^[a] water flow from the same spring? ¹²My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

Do you ever struggle with your tongue? Do you know what I mean? Maybe it's gossip, or tearing people down, or making fun of people, or sarcasm (ooohh, that one hurts a little) or perhaps it's lying. I don't know what it is for you, but what I do know is that the small muscle in our mouth we call the tongue is very powerful. We have the ability to make someones day or completely destroy it.

Who will you encourage today with your words? Come on...commit to it. And make it take a little effort.