Kuwan-ing!

August 29th, 2008 by humbled

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It’s my mannerism to say the word "kuwan"
whenever I can’t mention the exact word that will describe what it is in my
mind. "Kuwan" is sort of a word filler. My friends started giving
attention to this word when Janna noticed this when I celebrated my birthday
with them in our house. Jackie also said that I have another filler, "Anong
ngang tawag dito?"

 

"Ano nga bang pangalan ni kuwan?
Masakit ang kuwan ko. Pumunta ako sa kuwan."

 

Actually, di lang naman ako ang may
ganitong idiosyncrasy. I think most Filipinos have this kind of mannerism. We
Filipinos could still understand each other even if we would use "ano," "kuwan" or "yun" as fillers to our sentences.

 

Yesterday, I was with Koko,
Christine and PJ. We were by the parking lot. Di ko maintindihan bakit kami
nakatambay doon at tila nagsasayang ng oras. PJ and I were supposed to talk
kaso someone, I can’t remember who, started to talk about pizza. And we started
to use "kuwan" as fillers to our sentences.

 

"Tara mag-kuwan tayo ng pizza… May
manlilibre ng kuwan… Kuwan na ang oras… Masakit na ang aking kuwan sa kakatayo
at kakahintay… Kasi di pa manlibre si kuwan…"

 

Ahsie came and heard us mentioning
the word "kuwan." Since hindi siya Pinay, she wasn’t able to understand
and appreciate what we were talking about. And we just laughed. She tried to
decipher what we were talking about but to no avail.

 

She left us. After a few minutes,
she passed by our group again and heard us still talking with "kuwan" in
our words. Ahsie asked, "You are still kuwan-ing?" Now because of Ahsie my mannerism
has a name… "kuwan-ing"! Great job!

 

Part na lamang siya ng aming
biruan. And my friends are starting to spread the fire of "kuwan" and even
my family is also "kuwan-ing."

 

Of course, I am starting to feel
uncomfortable with my mannerism. Di naman ako napipikon. I just thought what if
I’m already preaching behind the pulpit and my congregation would often hear me
"kuwan-ing" parang it’s not good.

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Mahiwagang Plato (Magical Plate)

July 24th, 2008 by humbled
I had a weird dream last Saturday when I
took an afternoon nap.
 
We have this old, faded yellow and plastic
plate in our house (Mom said that it’s even older than me). In my dream, food
prepared in this plate made some individuals superheroes. Since

Hollywood

is making a lot of superhero movies from Marvel
and DC Comics, one of its directors went to the

Philippines

to look for this old,
faded yellow and plastic plate that we have. He really wanted the real thing.
He asked it from us and I said to him that he could get the plate in exchange
of a certain amount. I initially thought of asking US$150,000 but said to him
that he could have it for US$200,000.

 
I got the money and immediately bought two
house and lot for me and my parents. The rest of the money was invested for
business. I didn’t care for the rights. I just wanted to have the money to live
a more decent life.
 
And then I woke up. I realized that I was
just dreaming but I took my cell phone, used its calculator and computed the
exchange value of US$200,000. My covetous heart strikes again.

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Proud Seminary Classmate

July 22nd, 2008 by humbled
I have a particular classmate that is seemingly boastful of his competence
or ability. I say “seemingly boastful” because it’s how I interpret his
observable behavior. It is also because I don’t know my classmate’s true
personality. I only know the person as a distant observer.
 
I initially got irritated with this person because of his “pa-bibo”
efforts in the class. There are times that his line of reasoning is good and
relevant, but most of the time he is just causing class hours to be wasted.
 
I thought I will get over with him until I observed him again “flaunting”
his well-done assignment to our international classmates. I say “well-done”
because I could really see the effort he invested. I got intimidated and
envious because I envisioned myself doing the same thing but I just did the
minimum requirement.
 
I didn’t feel irritated because he did a better job than I am. I got annoyed
because he showed a fairly excellent assignment to our classmates who are
already having a hard time coping with requirements due to difficulty in
English.
 
Why does he have to do that? I just thought that he should have been
more sensitive to our classmates. He should have put his assignment straight in
the professor’s table. I don’t know if he had noticed the countenance of our
classmates after he took his assignment from them. They looked disturbed. If I will
put words in their mouth, I think each of them would say, “He did a good job. He’ll
get a perfect score again. How about me? I don’t think my work will even have a
passing grade.”
 
What I observed is helpful because it helped me assess my own heart. I
could even be more proud than him. I may not know it but perhaps my other classmates
may also think that I am proud. Who knows, he might be might thinking also
that I am proud.

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“Oh, Shoot!”

July 13th, 2008 by humbled
I just thought of writing something about this cliché that I often
hear from Americans. I really don’t know what they mean when they say that, but
I don’t feel comfortable when I hear American Christians speak those words.
 
Why? I have observed that they would say “Oh, Shoot!” when they are
irritated or if they are dismayed with something or someone. It’s like this cliché
is an alteration of the “S___” word.
 
It’s like the common curse in Filipino. Instead of saying “P_____!,”
some would say “Putik!” This was popularized by the TV ad made for Tide.
 
It seems harmless but the subliminal thought behind the words are
there. I know. I’ve been there. I often swear before I became a Christian. From
“P_____!,” it developed to “Putik!” It was my subtle way of swearing, until I stopped
saying those words.
 
So what do you think? Am I right or am I wrong?

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Health Updates

February 19th, 2008 by humbled

My family
is experiencing several health problems these past weeks.

 
My Dad had
another seemingly heart attack last week. We had some difficulty convincing him
to see a doctor. He had several attacks before and we had the same difficulty
of asking him to see a doctor. He eventually went to the hospital the day after
his attack. His examination indicates that he has atheromatous aorta. We don’t
know yet what it means because the doctor who’ll interpret the ECG and x-ray
was not around awhile ago. I tried to search the web and the things I learned
were not encouraging. It makes me really worried for my Dad.
 
I had
another acute painful attack in my low back. My sneezing last Sunday due to
allergic rhinitis triggered and aggravated my slipped disc. I don’t want to
undergo surgery. I really need to see a doctor that would tell me what to do
with slipped disc since I deem that I would recover with a proper
rehabilitation therapy or exercise. My back pain is affecting a lot of my
activities. I wasn’t able to attend church services and discipleship cell. I
have to go on leave from work. I can’t do some of personal chores.
 
My left eye
is also painful. I had a checkup with an ophthalmologist and had my eyes
refracted by an optometrist. I had some bad reports with these two but I had no
choice. Many of my relatives have become nearly blind because the
ophthalmologist didn’t tell them all his findings.
 
I trusted
the Lord that I would somehow have a good diagnosis. He had checked me up seven
years ago. He didn’t tell me my eye problem. He said that the pressure in my
eyes is still in the normal range but he prescribed eye drops for glaucoma that
cost so much. His wife, the optometrist, said that I have the wrong set of
spectacles. She insisted that I replace it immediately and she recommends
something that would amount to Php5000 to Php7000 plus the frames. I had to
tell her that I can’t decide right away. She gave me my prescription and I have
to pay an additional Php112 to the PF because I took the prescription out. Mind
you, they are Christian doctors at that. I’m thankful to the Lord the drops
didn’t caused further problems.
 
I had a
second opinion and my latest ophthalmologist said that I don’t need to replace
my eyeglasses and I just have a common migraine caused by several factors that
he graciously listed for me. He did a comprehensive eye examination. He gave me
a good list of do’s and don’t’s. He also gave me prescription for my glasses.
All of these for a discounted PF. He’s also a Christian. Praise God!
 
The rest of
the family members have other health issues. Paul has asthma attack. Tanya and
VJ have several health issues. They would either feel severe headaches or have
upset stomachs. Mom is also experiencing some body pains. She has working so hard
to do odd things to meet some of our daily needs, since we had some major
medical expenses. It concerns me because she’s already old and she’s rarely
complains of pains in her body. I wonder if she has “silent” illnesses.
 
I just pray
for God’s grace to heal us, to provide doctors that would help us diagnose our
health problems, to provide for our medical expenses and for His peace to guard
our hearts from worrying.

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Eureka Seven

January 3rd, 2008 by humbled

I have watched a lot of animé and Eureka Seven is the greatest work I’ve seen. From the captivating world to the picture perfect characters and the cool reffing LFOs, this animé series transcends its medium.

I thought it was just another mecha animé that will just entertain me when I first saw it in ABS-CBN 2, but I got hooked with it. Thus, I watched the series over at YouTube during the Christmas break. Afterward, Eureka Seven became the opiate of my mind until now.

I would like to quote one of the fans who posted his comment in IMDb. He said “Eureka Seven has a beautiful art style, an entrancing world, absolutely phenomenal high speed fight scenes and an excellent story that is absolutely full of twists and turns, shocking moments and profound surprises. Nothing, however, compares to the masterpiece that is the character cast. Renton is the main character who is at the beginning of the series a bored and whiny kid who is oblivious to the nuances of adult life. After he meets the mysterious Eureka in the first episode (and immediately falls in love with her), his character sets off on a true adventure and by the end of the series Renton truly becomes a man. The fantastic romance between Renton and Eureka is the center of the storyline and will undoubtedly cause at least half of Eureka Seven’s audience to burst into tears at multiple points of the story… The other characters in the story are no less interesting and many go through extreme changes just as Renton did. The cold, hard and reluctant leader Holland morphs into a compassionate and strong hero by the end of the story and many people who watch this series start out hating Holland but absolutely love him by the end.”

It also got several awards in Japan. I never thought that there are award giving bodies in Japan for animé.

Anyway, quoting an entry in Wikipedia, “Towards the end of its original Japanese run, Eureka Seven won multiple awards at the 2006 Tokyo International Anime Fair, including Best Television Series, Best Screenplay for Dai Satō, and Best Character Designs for Ken’ichi Yoshida. Ken’ichi Yoshida, the series’ main animator and character designer, also received an individual award at the 10th Animation Kobe Awards in September 2005. The series also won an award at the 20th Digital Content Grand Prix in Japan in January 2006. At the Anime Expo 2006 SPJA Awards, Eureka Seven won the award for Best Television Series, and Best Female Character for Eureka. Anime Insider voted it “Best DVD Series of the Year” in 2006.”

I guess I would just like to say to others, “Go watch it!!!”

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Animé Addict

January 1st, 2008 by humbled

Yeah, I
admit it. I’m one of those fascinated with Japanese pop culture, particularly
animé. There are few Japanese dramas that I like, like Gokusen and those that
were done by Takuya Kimura.

 
I love to watch animé, especially those with mahō shōjo and mecha themes and those that where
adopted from manga series. Of course, part of liking an animé
is how the soundtrack was rendered and how the voice actors nailed their voices
to the characters. I grew up watching Voltes V, Voltron, Daimos, Macross and Astro Boy.
All of which are mecha animé or animation about robots.
 
Then there
came Dragonball Z, a shōnen animé. It was initially aired in RPN 9 then it was
terminated in the climax of the battle between Son Goku and Vegeta.
 
Then there
were other mecha animé that came, like Neon Genesis Evangelion and Gundam.
There’s also Zoid, a battle story about mechanical living beings that resemble
dinosaurs.
 
When I
graduated from college, while waiting to get into a job, I watched several game
based animé. To those who were able to watch Slumdunk, who
will ever forget
Hanamichi Sakuragi? I like the thought of learning to be team player watching
this animation and becoming the best in what you are doing. I remember how the
story affected me because I was quite involved with our basketball team back in
college. It’s funny watching this animé but there are moments
that I really felt crying in some episodes.
 
There’s
also Knock Out about the boxing career of Ippo Makunochi… Prince of Tennis
about the high school freshman tennis genius Ryoma Echizen… Hikaru No Go…
 
 Add to the
list are Flame of Recca (the seven dragon flames of Recca =D) and Ghost Fighter
(the ray gun of Eugene =D).I remember that I
often think that Alfred of Ghost Fighter and Hanamichi Sakuragi have the same
character or attitude. I think they also have the same Filipino voice actor.
 
There’s a mahō
shōjo animé that I like because the girl is so cute that I even sketched her.
It’s Card Captor Sakura.
 
Another cute moé animé is A Little Snow Fairy Sugar. The fairy characters are
named after spices and they have musical instruments that if played well will
control the weather condition.
 
Then one my
favorites, Elemental Gerad were shown in QTV 11. It’s a story about a powerful
shichikou-houju Reverie Metherlence, better known as Ren, and a sky pirate Coud
Van Giruet. I like the story because of their adventure and love for each other
that changed the lives of so many people and Edel Raids around them.
 
There are
several “makukulit” animé that have shōjo theme or a combination
of several themes, like Galaxy Angels that have weird plots and all that will
just make you laugh. Then there’s Love Hina, Fruits Basket and School Rumble.
 
Of course,
I like Hunter X Hunter and Naruto also. In one of the episodes of Naruto, I was
reminded of the value of giving your all in discipling someone and training
yourself to become better. I also like the value given to friendship in these
series.
 
My latest
favorite and I think the best animé so far that I have watched and I really got
hooked with is Psalms of Planet Eureka Seven. I actually downloaded Eureka
Seven wallpapers for my computer and cell phone, also the soundtracks and its
lyrics, even though I hardly understand Nihonggo.
 
“Eureka
Seven works in a wide variety of themes throughout its story. One of the most
prevalent themes in the series is racial and religious tolerance and harmony,
which is carried through the characters’ relationships as well the series’
conflicts. Some of the other more global themes that the series covers consist
of issues such as allegories of real world conflicts and wars, current
political climates from Japan and abroad, depictions of various subcultures and
related musical movements that span several generations, and ties to environmental
movements. The series also covers other more personal themes such as parenting
and family, along with a very innocent view of puppy love or love at first
sight from  Renton and  Eureka. The series works these
themes, as well as the theme of growing up and change, into the journey of
Renton Thurston” (from Wikipedia).
 
Why do I
like this mecha animé so much? Well it’s not much of the robots, though the
Nirvash typeZero is really cool, but I really like the growing love and
affection between the main characters – Eureka and Renton. Eureka is a Coralian in human
form who knows nothing about being a mother, about family, about being cool,
about love and almost anything about human being. Renton is stubborn brat who
hates school and loves reffing. He fell in love with Eureka the moment he first saw
her. 
 
They grew
more mature over time. Eureka learned to become more
human by her interaction with her adopted kids and Renton and the rest of the Gekko State members. At the age of 16
they become parents to their adopted kids Maurice, Maeter and Linck.

 
I like how
a promise made by Renton to protect Eureka and to be with her all
the time could change the world and how their decision to love each other could
change their destiny. Renton really expressed
unconditional love to Eureka, especially when she
became unattractive because her skin was somehow damaged by the Scab Coral and
when wings grew on her back. They also showed unending love for each other. Eureka was about to become the
Command Center Coralian when Renton came to her with the
Nirvash. Eureka was willing to give up her human form body to
become the Command Center just to protect the kids
and Renton and everyone else on Earth. Renton also was willing to give
up his humanity just to be with Eureka forever. If they will
become one as the Command Center then they will be
together forever. But the Scab Coral, moved by their love for each other,
decided to release them to live a normal life. And for other people to have
hope in love, the Scab etched their love for each other in the moon’s surface
for others to see.

 

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Idolatries Subtle to Name and Intoxicating to Escape

December 5th, 2007 by humbled
I was listening to
Dr. Carson’s preaching on what the Gospel is when he mentioned of the “wretched
claims of idolatry too subtle to be named and too intoxicating to escape.” I
could hardly remember the points he laid on his preaching but this statement
struck me.
 
It made me think of
the things that have been my idols. I tried to look within my heart and sought
to know if there are things that I have grown to cherish and love other than
God. Have I substituted temporal things to what is divine and eternal? Am I
allowing the subtleties of the enemy to distract me and draw me away from my
first love? Did I let my guards down?
 
Have I become
intoxicated with my idolatries that I am more fascinated and excited with its
worldly pleasures? Is the fleeting satisfaction from the fulfillment of my
lusts more invigorating? Am I already chained with my idols that I couldn’t
escape anymore?

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Wasting My Slipped Disk

November 21st, 2007 by humbled
(My
struggle to glorify God in my sickness)
 
I’m in this
pain again. I was quite paranoid. I’m thinking that I might possibly experience
difficulty in walking and standing again. That is why I decided to go Dr.
Chua.
 
Dr. Chua
said that I have slipped disk. I was asked to have bed rest and to have MRI. He
also said that I’m a candidate for surgery.
 
Just
thinking about a possible operation on my back literally chills my bones… I
mean… chills my spines.
 
Before and
after my checkup, I had asked several officemates and friends to pray for me. I
asked for a miracle so that I will be healed rather than undergoing operation.
I also asked for provision.
 
It’s quite
difficult to stay in the bed or just stay in the house. I grow anxious every
time I think about not earning a few days salary and the there are household
needs to be met and the need to be diagnosed through MRI. Where am I going to
get provision for all of these? I’ve been in this kind of situation early this
year. It was really a period of testing. And now my faith is being tried again.
On my own, I would have given up. But I know that God supplies me the faith to
trust in Him.
 
I remember
our discipleship cell Bible study on Romans 5:3-5, which says, “More than that,
we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and
endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not
put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the
Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”
 
I can still
remember how Bro. Oscar has asked us, “What difference does it make if you’re a
Christian? Why would someone be a Christian if he will also suffer?” I can’t
recall how I answered the question but I’m in a situation now that fits rightly
to the questions.
 
I would
perhaps answer it through a story.
 
It was kind
of difficult to get a ride the day I went to the Orthopedic Hospital. The traffic was heavy
because of road construction. I prayed for a passenger taxi. I prayed that I
will be able to ride in front or in the middle because of my low back pain. I
waited and prayed for more than an hour. My back is already stressed and I’m
already late. I was a bit angry. I was frustrated but I have nowhere and have
no one to turn to but God.
 
I was able
to ride in the middle section of a FX. My mood hadn’t changed. Then the lyrics
of the song Trust His Heart was playing in my mind. I suddenly remembered to
thank God for the FX and for being in the section I have asked. Then I became
calm.
 
I don’t
know where the Orthopedic Hospital is. I asked Dad, the
jeepney drivers and the bystanders to give directions. I was able to get there
without getting lost.
 
I had my
appointment. I was fairly diagnosed. And I didn’t pay the consultation fee! So
I had money to buy the medicine I need!
 
But then
I’m still troubled.
 
Where am
going to get the money for my MRI? What? Bed rest again? No salary for a number
of days. We haven’t received the electricity bill yet. Our landline is no
longer working. There are other things I need to buy. I still need to do sound
editing for the church. We have practices for the church’s Family Day. I have
to prepare the presentation for the office’s Monthly Fellowship.
 
But I
followed the order of the doctor. I want to get well.
 
As of now, there
is not much improvement. The pain is still there. And I don’t think I’m taken
cared by my family. I got angry just awhile ago because those who are able to
prepare food didn’t care if Dad and I are already hungry. Don’t they really
care that Dad is blind and I’m having this temporary disability again?
 
It’s a
struggle. It’s easier said than done. By just looking at my story, my answer to
my cell servant’s question would have been unsatisfactory. But I really wanted to
hope in God and give Him the glory in what I’m experiencing.
 
Then I
remember John Piper’s article “Don’t Waste Your Cancer.” He said:
 
1. You will
waste your cancer if you do not believe it is designed for you by God.
 
2. You will
waste your cancer if you believe it is a curse and not a gift.
 
3. You will
waste your cancer if you seek comfort from your odds rather than from God.
 
David Powlison
adds, “With God, you aren’t playing percentages, but living within
certainties.”
 
4. You will
waste your cancer if you refuse to think about death.
 
5. You will
waste your cancer if you think that “beating” cancer means staying alive rather
than cherishing Christ.
 
6. You will
waste your cancer if you spend too much time reading about cancer and not
enough time reading about God.
 
What a
waste of cancer if we read day and night about cancer and not about God.
 
David Powlison
adds, “What is so for your reading is also true for your conversations with
others. Other people will often express their care and concern by inquiring
about your health. That’s good, but the conversation easily gets stuck there.
So tell them openly about your sickness, seeking their prayers and counsel, but
then change the direction of the conversation by telling them what your God is
doing to faithfully sustain you with 10,000 mercies. Robert Murray McCheyne
wisely said, “For every one look at your sins, take ten looks at Christ.” He
was countering our tendency to reverse that 10:1 ratio by brooding over our
failings and forgetting the Lord of mercy. What McCheyne says about our sins we
can also apply to our sufferings. For every one sentence you say to others
about your cancer, say ten sentences about your God, and your hope, and what he
is teaching you, and the small blessings of each day. For every hour you spend
researching or discussing your cancer, spend 10 hours researching and
discussing and serving your Lord. Relate all that you are learning about cancer
back to him and his purposes, and you won’t become obsessed.
 
7. You will
waste your cancer if you let it drive you into solitude instead of deepen your
relationships with manifest affection.
 
8. You will
waste your cancer if you grieve as those who have no hope.
 
9. You will
waste your cancer if you treat sin as casually as before.
 
10. You
will waste your cancer if you fail to use it as a means of witness to the truth
and glory of Christ.
 
There are
times in these past few days that I have wasted my slipped disk. I have thought
of dying rather than accepting this gift of pain. I have thought of death but
not in terms of redeeming the time. I was sort of revolting in my mind. I
sought comfort from the idea that I will feel better anyway through medication
and therapy. My desire to learn more about slipped disk have outweighed my time
of reading His Word. There are occasions in these past few days that I have
lost my passion for holiness. It appears that I’m just like one of those who
have no hope.
 
But I am
confronted by His Word that says His love has been poured into my heart (Rom. 5:5). He loves me.
Therefore I have hope. My greatest need have been given and secured in Christ
Jesus. I am saved. I am His child! He is my Father!
 
My slipped
disk? I’m placing them in His hand. God will be the one to take care of it.

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The Sinfulness of the Tongue: Talking To People Rather Than Talking About Them

November 17th, 2007 by humbled
Ephesians
5:4 (ESV) says, “Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking,
which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.”
 
How often
do we get involved with the proliferation of rumor? How often do we get news
about a friend from another friend or group of friends whenever there is a
reunion? How often do you talk of someone who doesn’t have an opportunity to
lay down the facts about her life? How many hearts have been broken because of
your careless divulgence of stories you should have kept in your heart? How
many lives have been destroyed because their life has become an open book
because you exposed their story for others to feast? How many people have left
the church because they see the Christians there as no more than the
chitchatting old ladies in the sari-sari store?
 
Do we tend
to go directly to the person to know him and what’s happening in his life? Or
do we tend to go to the grapevine to know the latest about her?
 
I would
often experience awkwardness whenever I’m in a group of friends and they seem
to be updated with the latest news about our other friends. There are times, I
think, that I’m always the last to know. I’m always surprised whenever I would
hear that a certain friend will be married in a few months time or realizing
that two of my fiends already broke up without knowing that they become a
couple.
 
This would
just prove that I’m not close with all of my friends. Thus for the sake of
“updating” myself, I would get news from the grapevine. I would even share my
own “scoop.” This also proves that I’m a gossiper.
 
Why is it
that a rumor is so palatable to the tongue? The tongue inclined to the desires
of the flesh will not just find rumor material tasty but would even share it to
others. And others are even more excited to partake! Don’t think that I’m just
referring to the unbelieving world. Christians are guiltier of this offense!
 
Gossiping
is foolish talking. Other descriptions of this ungodly activity in the Bible
are “tale bearing,” “false witnessing,” slandering,” “tattling,” “lying” and
“backbiting.” Gossiping involves discussing intimate details of people’s life
for injurious or malicious purposes. Often, the gossiper fails to clarify the
facts with the relevant persons involved.
 
Such
activities are those esteemed by heathens. Such are the activities of the
fools, of the indiscreet and of the wicked.
 
The Apostle
Paul says that such activity is out of place, particularly to Christians. It is
improper. It is not fitting for Christians to gossip! It brings a great deal of
mischief to the one who brings the tale but also to the hearer. It pollutes and
poisons their conscience. Matthew Henry says that it is “very unsuitable to
[the Christians’] profession and character.” John Gill said that it is
“disagreeable to the will of God.” John Wesley adds that foolish talking does
not increase one’s faith or holiness.
 
My personal
stance is that unless a person directly relates to me things about herself I
have nothing to do with things about her life. Even if what is circulating is
factual and validated by others, it is still unfitting for me as a Christian to
know stories from others. My sinful tendencies could betray me. My tongue could
slip in any moment I become careless.
 
I believe
that it is better to talk with the person. Get to know him. Build my
relationship with him. And get the information I need to know or get the
information that is profitable for my growth as a believer. It would be better
not to be updated with my friends rather than fall in to this vicious sin of
foolish talking.
 
With this
kind of attitude, I am more constrained to build relationship directly with
people or to communicate regularly with my friends. Participation with
gossiping is proof of one’s poor communication skills or interpersonal skills.
 
Another
area that Paul mentioned that is related to the sinfulness of the tongue is
crude joking. In a culture where standup comedies are increasingly accepted, we
tend to become unaware that even are jokes are not pleasant to the Lord. Paul
used the Greek word eutrapelia, not used elsewhere in the New Testament, to
describe this unfitting activity. Jamieson, Fauseet and Browns said that crude
joking or jesting is “implying strictly that versatility which turns about and
adapts itself, without regard to principle, to the shifting circumstances of
the moment, and to the varying moods of those with whom it may deal (emphasis
mine).”
 
This is the
case when teasing someone with another person. We could be so careless with our
joking that it doesn’t edify the person or it doesn’t increase her faith. There
are occasion that it fudges someone’s emotional attraction for a certain
person, instead of grounding his feelings for the girl on Biblical truth and
principles.
 
What does
Paul recommend? Let there be thanksgiving! He used the word eucharistia, as
opposed to eutrapelia. The tongue should be used for much better purposes and
that is to give thanks to God for the blessings that He gives us.
 
Don’t
gossip! Talk to people rather talk about them. Let us not waste our lives to
useless tittle-tattle. It’s better to use our tongue to praise God and to share
His message of grace to others!

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