[187 words]
I must have been sick on the day they taught phonics in school. If I don’t recognize a word by sight, I can find some amazing ways to mispronounce it. I cringe when I have to use certain words because no matter how much I practice, I’m not sure how it will come out.
However, I know that the hardest words to say are sometimes the most simple to pronounce. Phrases like, “I’m sorry” and “I was wrong” and “I have sinned.”
It would behoove us to remember this when people need to say those words. We need to do everything to support them and encourage them. We should never hinder someone’s need for repentance with our judgments or indifference. Jesus tells us in Luke 15:7 that “there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” God’s desire is for man to see the error of his ways and come home. We need to make sure we don’t do anything that would hinder someone from making that journey.
Barry Haynes
Hope church of Christ
Hope, AR