Do you recall being summoned to the principal’s office back in the day, or to the dean’s to be spoken to or disciplined? Can you picture yourself there? “So, Sam, I hear…” And you’re “stuttering, – “Uh-hama, hama, hama, it’s a bea-u-ti-ful d-day (as the pouring rain sweeps the streets and you’re glancing at the lifeless trees bare of all leaves).” Not a good experience! Often my best friend Gil’s dad would tell him to get inside. The dad was generally very serious. One thing he was known for was his dungarees. They were cuffed at the bottom 2-3 times, wore suspenders with his belly rising between them. He walked a bit bowlegged kicking each leg outward, and he chewed gum like crazy. On this particular day, must’ve been 1973, we were standing right in front of Gil’s first-floor window when Georgie called Gil to come outside. His dad answered roughly from inside. At that point, Georgie, with his back to the window decided to mock the dad! He bent over slightly, rolled up his pants, stood up ready to put his thumbs behind his make-believe suspenders, that’s when Gil’s dad stuck his head out the window! Spreading his arms apart, he rested them on the sill and stared at Georgie…We, stood there with our mouths wide open as flies zipped in and out and danced around us going in through our nostrils and exiting through our mouths!
Our eyes were fixed beyond Georgie. As he slowly stood up mumbling, imitating Mr. Gil, noticing the flies and our motionless bodies, he whispered, “He’s there, isn’t he?” Our heads went up & down. With his hands still around his “suspenders,” Georgie whistled lowly, made a half-turn to confirm Mr. Gil’s presence, and then ZOOMED to the left towards his building’s stoop! BUSTED!! It was hilarious! We told him he shouldn’t have done that-at least not there where he could be seen! Our sound advice guaranteed he’d never get caught again! Now imagine being busted by God for saying or doing something… “And Miriam and Aaron, (Moses’ sister and brother) spoke against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married…and they said, has the LORD indeed spoken only by Moses? Has he not spoken also by us? And the LORD heard it.” In a nutshell, they complained about Moses’ decision and questioned whether he was truly chosen by God to speak to them. “And the LORD spoke suddenly to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, Come out you three to the tabernacle of the congregation. (The tabernacle was a portable temple; a tent where God dwelt and met with His people.) “His anger was kindled against them and turned Miriam white as snow-a leper” (Numbers 12). I’d say the ‘Principal’ called them to His office!
Where it was once shameful and a disrespect to speak against another person, especially a leader, we now have platforms, social media, talk-shows, etc. where people feel empowered to freely express their minds and views-all without fear of consequences. God, however, isn’t bound by the rules of social media. His ways and His Word are above everything. Be assured that He will hold us accountable for every word we speak. We may escape a principal’s disciplinary actions and may even get away with imitating a friend’s father, but we will not escape the heavenly Father. “But I tell you that men will give an account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words, you will be acquitted and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:36,37 Berean Study Bible). God will allow you a ‘platform,’ the stage where He will judge you. If you’re not saved, you have God’s guarantee that you’ll be there. You will be allowed to say all you want in your defense, because God is Just and He will grant you the floor, however, the end result will be the same: eternal separation from Him. In other words, He’ll allow the unsaved to defend themselves or to share “their side of the story” but they will not save themselves. They will have missed the mark-by a thousand years… Let’s stay out of the principal’s office, watch our words, and spend time with God’s Holy Word rather than with ours.
God Bless!
Sam