Tuesday, May 3, 2011
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It was the end of World War II, and the city of Berlin was being divided up by the allies. Now, the East Berliners, in what was to become Communist Berlin, drove a dump truck over to the west side to free Berlin. It was filled with garbage, and they just let it all be dumped out and then they drove away. Nice, huh?
Well, the people from West Berlin said, "OK, two can play this game." So they thought, "We'll pick up all that garbage, we'll put it in our truck and we'll dump it right back on the east side." They thought again about that, and they decided maybe that wasn't the best way to handle it. So, instead, they filled the dump truck, but they filled it with canned goods and non-perishable food items. Then they drove the truck over to the east side of Berlin, stacked all the food neatly, and put a little sign beside it. Here's what it said: Each gives what he has to give. Pretty devastating, huh? It was true in Berlin then, and well, it was true where you were today.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Checking Your Cargo."
Well, our word for today from the Word of God comes from Matthew 12, and I'm going to begin reading at verse 34. Jesus says, "Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him." What Jesus is saying here is that your words continually betray what you heart is full of. It's kind of like what they said in Berlin, "Each gives what he has to give."
Now, we unload verbally whatever cargo we have to give to people. It would be revealing, wouldn't it, to hear tape excerpts of your conversations over the last few days. How would you like to listen to the tapes? I wonder, would we hear a lot of complaining, or down talk, where you're picking apart other people? Maybe we'd hear some dark talk - negative, depressing kinds of things?
Or maybe we would hear too much dirty talk; little innuendoes, being quick to pick up a double meaning in something, bedroom humor, or bathroom humor. Is that what's inside? Or is it about money, or the new toys you're buying for yourself, the new clothes. Is it about you all the time? Is that what your heart is full of - you talking about yourself all the time? Is it pressure that comes out, stressful talk, anger, bitterness?
What are you dumping on people: garbage or goodies? How do they feel after they have been with you? Do they feel lighter, or do they feel heavier? Do they feel bigger or feel smaller? See, you're giving them what you've been storing up. It's a result of what you've been reading, and watching, and who you've been hanging around with, what you've been laughing at, and what you talk about on the phone, or do on the Internet all the time.
Verse 37 says, "For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned." Your words will be the basis for your judgment. Maybe it's time to evaluate your mental and emotional diet. Commit yourself to positive friends, to positive music, to positive books and websites, and above all, a non-negotiable time in the presence of Jesus before you drive your truck out of the garage every morning.
Let Him fill you up with good cargo for today. People around you have enough garbage dumped on them. Why don't you leave a stack of goodies?