Sorry, Wrong Number!

Would you ever call someone who had just done something that got on your nerves and just rip them apart? Probably not. Chances are, if you found yourself in an irritating situation, you may vent to someone you are close to before you actually confront the person who aggravated you. A good friend of mine recently told a story about receiving a phone call from a lady she knew. When she answered the phone, she could hear yelling on the other end of the line. It took a few minutes to realize what was happening, but eventually she realized the lady had called her accidentally. The lady on the other end of the line was yelling and saying really ugly things about my friend, clearly not aware my friend was listening on the other end. YIKES! How awkward! I don't know if the lady realized what she'd done and hung up, or if they just got disconnected, but either way, the damage was done. I was very bothered by this story. I found myself "accidentally" judging the woman for her actions. How wrong of her to be saying those things at all, much less into a phone that was relaying all that ugliness to my friend. But then God reminded me how often I had done the very same thing. Maybe I didn't accidentally call the person on the phone, or maybe I did, but either way, I often vent about other people and say things about them I shouldn't say. I'm sure most people are in the same boat as me, but they doesn't make it right. No one is perfect, and heaven knows living on this Earth with aggravating people is certainly a challenge. Ephesians 4:29 says, "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." So to my friend I say, "I am sorry her words hurt you. I am sorry she was tearing you down when your heart was in the right place and you were doing the right thing." To myself I say, "Stop judging others, and guard your words. If you are saying something about someone you wouldn't say to their face, then you shouldn't be saying it at all." Think how different this world could be if we all decided to stop bad mouthing one another.