I have to give credit to my sister for sharing this illustration with me. I think you will also find it useful. Our world has become increasingly critical. You can watch TV and see various “experts” discuss issues and get vicious. Putting someone down for children, adolescents and adults has become an art. You need to “look down” at them before they “look down” on you. Saying something nice is considered to be weak. So the question is: are you a balcony person or a basement person? Do you, as a Balcony Person, lift up, encourage people, build them up and educate them? Or you are a Base Person. Do you tear people down, criticize them and criticize their actions? Which do you think is easier to do? What does the world teach?
As Christians, we are called to follow God’s standard, not the world’s. Let’s see what the scripture says about our speech. Ephesians 4:29, 32 says the following: “Do not let any bad word come out of your mouth, but only the one that is useful to build others according to their needs, so that it benefits those who listen. Be kind and compassionate one another, forgiving one another, just as Christ God forgave you.” God calls us to be Balcony People, building others according to their needs. I have heard this verse many times in my life, but this time something caught my attention while reading it. The verse says to edify others according to their needs. To me, this doesn’t mean empty flattery, but really getting to know a person so that you know what to say that he can really strengthen them. We can encourage them as they grow in Christ or in other areas of their lives. We can speak God’s word to people and provide their comfort, not ours.
I have some questions for you to consider. I’ve asked myself, and honestly, I don’t always like the answers.
1. In my workplace, am I the first to be critical and find fault or try to find a solution?
2. Am I known as the office gossip?
3. Am I quick to judge others and be critical?
4. Do I deliberately try to cheer up my co-workers? Do I point out its good points?
5. As a parent, are the comments I make to my children more negative than positive? Am I always in them?
6. As a parent, do I find opportunities to encourage and encourage my children?
7. As a Christian friend, am I quick to point out sin in other people’s lives or do I encourage them as a sister in Christ?
8. How would others describe me? Am I a balcony person or a basement person?
9. Am I encouraging my children to choose to be a Scriptural Balcony person?
10. Are my children’s friends people from the Balcony or the Basement? Remember that our children are greatly affected by their peers.
The pull of the world is strong. The world says beat people to humiliation. Only weak people say kind things to others. You don’t want to be perceived as a “brown sniff.” The bottom line is that as Christians our guide is the Bible and the Bible is clear about how we should interact with others. We must build them and not tear them down. Our sinful nature is quick to judge. As Christians, we are new creatures in Christ. We are called saints in Ephesians. Only with the power of God and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit can we change our selfish nature to one that is of Christ. So may I encourage you to trust in God’s power to transform you into a Balcony person and bring those around you to see the view? Not in a high and mighty way, but so that we see others as God’s holy creation. We are created in his likeness. So when we put others down, we are literally putting God down.
May we all strive to be more like Christ and encourage others.