In the Fort Worth Star Telegram on the crosswords page, there are two “jumble” type puzzles, where you have to rearrange letters to uncover the intended words. Each of them have a “payoff” word that comes with a clue. I liked the “Scramlets” puzzle from Tuesday. The clue was:
Politeness is the art of choosing among your thoughts.
Wisdom comes from the most unexpected places. The quote acknowledges that everyone has thoughts that are rude or inappropriate, but a polite person chooses carefully those thoughts he will express.
This reminds me of James’ thoughts regarding temptation and sin in James 1:14-15, “But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings for death.”
All are tempted to sin. No matter the enticement, no matter the desire, sin is avoided when we choose not to pursue it. The choice is not always easy to make, and is made easier only as a Christian matures spiritually. However, two things are indisputably true. First, we can resist the temptations to sin. Paul wrote, “God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13). Second, we are accountable for the choices we make! “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10).
