Don't Be a Mean Commenter

Is it just me or have the comment sections on websites become an excuse to debase and insult people you don't know?  Many comment sections have become downright mean, and there are some websites where I won't even read the comments for that reason.

 It's easy because of the perceived anonymity of the keyboard and the internet to write something that one may later regret.  I never thought it would be me, but yesterday I wrote something that I deeply regret.

I became that commenter.  You know the one that I mean.  The one that calls the "Duggars pigs" Christians "hypocritical morans" and uses 10 different swear words all in the same breath.  I became the commenter that I so often have to respond to in my blog posts.

Yes, even though I didn't use any profanity, I became that commenter after reading this post by Courtney at Women Living Well about former Victoria's Secret model Kylie Bisutti.

It didn't matter if the opinions I expressed in my comment were Biblical, completely wrong or in between.  It didn't matter because my comments weren't written in love.

Maybe they were written out of a spirit of insecurity or jealousy, but I realized they weren't loving words the moment I hit the "submit" button.  God convicted my heart almost immediately, he seemed to say:

"Why in the world would any woman want to be a Christian if they would be dealing with sisters like you."

It wasn't however until that evening when I read Romans 12:3 that I humbled myself and asked Courtney to delete my previous comment.  Praise God it didn't even make it past her moderation.  (I'm embarrassed enough she had to read it.)

My words that I had so sanctimoniously written were discouraging to say the least but what's worse is that they had the potential to drive people away from God.  They had the potential to be used as an excuse to not come to Jesus' amazing, sweet, grace.  My words weren't loving, plain and simple.

Had Paul simply written to the church of Corinth "You guys stink at this Christianity thing! Everything you do is wrong, " he probably wouldn't have gotten anywhere with their hearts.  Instead he wrote this:

"Though I speak with the tongues of men and angels, and have not charity, I become as a sounding brass or tinkling cymbal"  1 Corinthians 13:1.

I pray that I am known as a blogger that is an encouragement not some commenter that snipes at other's with her words.  I never again want to be that commenter.  Thankfully God's grace even covers my foolishness.

Bringing people to the love and of Jesus is far too important to risk with careless words.  Think carefully the next time before you hit the submit button. I am so grateful only one person had to see that ugly side of my heart, but it was still one too many.

Let me know I not alone here, have any of you ever typed something you later regretted?  And for those of you wondering what I actually wrote.......you'll never know ; ) 

"For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith." Romans 12:3

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