Communication

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Arguably the greatest footballer the planet has ever seen, Zinedine Zidane would have bowed out in style, being the last time he would be playing competitive football. He has been a champion of champions in football,and has had an illustrious career, internationally and in clubs such as Juventus and Real Madrid.

The French captain and star was into the closing 30 minutes of the World cup finals in Berlin, between France and Italy when disaster struck. He had a disagreement with Marco Materazzi of Italy and was unhappy after the exchange . Marco had said something to Zidane which clearly offended him. After leaving the player and heading off, Zidane could not stand what he had said and turned round and went back to Marco and head-butted him down to the ground. The referee did not see the incident but other officials saw it and intimated the referee who sent Zidane off.
There was outrage and disbelief as to what he did and bewilderment as to what may have caused it. For those who were watching on the stand and did not see what preceded the sending off, there was revulsion and outcry as to how the referee handled the incident. It was as if the referee had committed foul himself by sending off Zidane on such a momentous occasion of his career.
It was a moment of madness, from fame shame, from grace to grass. People where horrified at what had happened and wondered why Zidane reacted so badly. Speculations followed later as to what may have been said. Could it have been a racist comment as alleged? Marco Materazzi vehemently denied making any remarks insulting his mother or calling him a terrorist. Some have said, regardless of what derogatory remarks may have been made, he should not have reacted that way. What do you think?
There is no doubt that something very foul was said and it went into Zidane like a dagger and triggered that venomous anger and rage that he forgot for a moment this was his last performance on the world stage. It was not only the world cup final; it was his day to say bye to the world of football and adieu to all his admirer and friends. Surely, he would not have wanted it to end the way it did and would regret it for a long time.
Soon after the march, amidst the speculation as to what was said, they kept replaying the images of the head-butt and how he shamefully left the field.
What are the lessons for us?
There are two lessons:
Firstly, we need to watch what we say. Thoughtless words leave lasting wounds. We can ruin others or defile ourselves by what we say.

Now, please read the following poems prayerfully. Jesus said, ‘By your words you will be condemned and by your words you will be justified.’


THOUGHTLESS WORDS LEAVE LASTING WOUNDS

Thoughtless words Leave Lasting Wounds
The frankness that’s rudeness.
Speaking the truth loveless
Slashing, gashing out of bitterness and unforgiveness.
Words spoken during verbal diarrhoea
When you speak before you think
When you want to give a piece of your mind
Words spoken in anger, seducing danger
They break spiritual bones, more than stones
Wanton, wicked words wound, bring lingering woes
Careless words set relationships ablaze, raze
Enrage aggravate, separate, negate
Disparage, bring pain in its train
Pollute, dilute, wrongly impute
Falsely and rashly conclude, and exclude,
Wrongly accuse, excuse, abuse, reduce
Grossly falsify, mortify to gratify
Undermine, plant mine that will explode or implode
Burn bridges for the future
Create gaps, cracks, and leave cancerous cells and cavities
Ruin the health, give a kiss of death
Kill friendships, poison and sever relationships
Leave lasting regrets we hardly forget
Sow bad, base, bankrupt, bitter seeds
That strangle and lead to wrangles.
Bind, grind, fight the mind
Distort, contort, resorts to hurts
Sick, toxic and acidic
deals, devastation and damnation.
Break bonds, bare wounds
© 2006Fenny West

Think Before You Speak
Prov.18:21, Luke 6:45, Prov.23:7,-4:23-24, Ps.141:3
Mark 7:20-23, Phil.4:8,Matt12:36-37,Jam3:5,9-12

Think Before You Speak
Else you'll wreck or mar.
The good only seek.
The bad put afar.

Your words are your seeds
Today, 'morrow fruits
So now sow good seeds
To have the good fruits

Watch well now your heart.
What you hear, or see
Take root in your heart.
So now word-wise be.




A Wrong Tongue Will Wrong You

A wrong tongue will wrong you 6
Rob you and bind you.5
A right tongue will lift you6
Bless you and free you.5

Yield now to the Spirit.
Speak, share, holy fruit.
Make God's word your key, root,
Now be a good shoot.

Refine your words to cheer.
Never let them tear.
Incline your words to bear.
Never speak despair.




© 2003Fenny West

Life and death are in the power of the tongue (Prov 18:21)
Secondly, control your anger lest it ruins you. A man who does not have control over his spirit is like a city without walls.

What happened to Zidane can happen to us in the privacy of our homes and work places or even in the Church unless we are careful and bring our tongue under the submission to the mighty hand of God. We all have weak points or Achilles' heel -area of vulnerability.
Anger is a natural emotion that neds to be expressed but it also needs to be controlled. If you are given to anger then you need to bring it under the blood of Jesus and seek special grace to deal with it . And we need to recognise those weak areas of our lives and let the Holy spirit help us overcome them.


It was Moses’ anger that kept him out of the Promised Land He disobeyed God in a moment of rage and struck the rock for water to come out instead of speaking to the rock (Num20:8-12). We are told to sin not when we are angry. Let not the sun go down upon your wrath. Neither give place to the devil (Ephe4::26).Anger rests in the bosom of fools (Eccle7:9) he that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that rules his spirit than he that takes a city. (Prov16:32) ..A soft answer turns away wrath but grievous words stir up anger. (Prov.15:1. Cease from anger (Ps.37:8) let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice (Ephe.4:29,31)
James talks of the dangers of the tongue that can go out of control, defile the whole body, and set ablaze, unless it is brought under the restraining influence of the Holy Spirit. (James3: 1:12)

We have an enemy who would want us to go out in shame and disgrace like Zidane. He wants to ruin our testimony and bring a reproach to the name of God. Give him an inch and he will take a mile. So friend, control your temper. Desist from speaking when you are angry.
Never take major decision when you are angry. It is very like to be the wrong decision. it can end a marriage that has lasted a life time, end an illustrious career, ruin friendship and fellowships that have been sweeter than honey in the honey comb, alienate Fathers and mothers from children and build a barrier for generations. We must guard against this.

We all have different threshold of anger and need to know when we should retreat and calm down. Anger can ruin, damage, wreck destroy. a magnificent edifice in just a moment as we can see. What has been built over 10 years can be destroyed in 10 minutes of uncontrolled rage.

It is just like any other sin that needs to be mastered before it masters us. Anger is one letter shot of danger. If you fly off in a jet plane of anger you will land in the Land of Danger.
Let us pray with David:
Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips (Ps 141:3). May forward lips and perverse moth be far from me, in Jesus’ name, amen

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