Talkin' Smack or Talking Up

Before we went to Houston for Thanksgiving my daughter called. She used a term that I had to ask her to define, "talkin' smack". Shows you how "hip" I am... NOT! Turns out that smack talk is the same as trash talk. According to the Urban Dictionary it's "the art of telling another person off, belittling them... while in the heat of competition."

I'll never forget the first time I rode a Century. When that cycling computer read "100" miles for the first time I about jumped out of my saddle! It was exciting, especially because I was with a good friend, Michael. Mike is the one who helped me become a serious cyclist. When we first started riding together I was just a recreational bike rider. I didn't know about road bikes, jerseys, or cadence. I didn't even know enough to bring a water bottle along. But Mike never put me down. He never made fun of me. He never talked smack. He always encouraged me. In fact, he challeneged me to do more. He strengthened me by pushing me. Mike was even there the first time I rode with clipless pedals and fell and broke my arm. He comforted me in my defeat and waited patiently for me to be able to get back on the bike. He helped me choose my first road bike. I wouldn't be a cyclist without him.

I'm sure I couldn't have made it through that first century without his encouragement. Since that time, I've ridden many solo centuries. Riding a solo century is much harder than riding with a group. Not only do you have no one to pull for you, no one to draft, but you also have no one to encourage you to keep going when you get tired and sore, when the cramps come and you feel like you're going to bonk.

In 1 Corinthians 14:3 Paul writes: "those who prophesy are speaking to people to give them strength, encouragement, and comfort." Paul's words made me think about my own words. What impact do the things I say each day have on others? Do they encourage others? Do they strengthen them when they are weak. Do my words comfort others when they're hurting?

Today I encourage you to examine the words you've been using with other people. Have you been "talkin' smack" to others or have you been talking others up? Do your words tear down the people around you, or do they build them up? Are your words negative or positive?

1 John 2:1 says: "My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One." Isn't it great to know that Jesus is not talking smack to the Father about us? He is advocating for us, talking us up! So let's take to heart his words of love and encouragement and use our words to build up everyone around us.