Taking It Back

A Children’s Sermon on Gossip (from Barefoot in the Snow)

Scripture References:  Matt. 12:34-37 & Eph. 4:17—5:4

Preparation: Bring a large tube of toothpaste, a bowl, and a towel.

We’re going to try to do something this morning that might be a little bit difficult, and I’m going to need a few volunteers to help me. My volunteers can come right up to the front here. I’m going to divide you into two groups: the squeezers and the stuffers. I have brought a tube of toothpaste and a bowl. I’m going to pass these to the squeezers first. Your job is to squeeze the toothpaste out of the tube and into the bowl. Each of you can squeeze a little and pass it along. (Wait until all squeezers have had a turn.) Thank you. That’s a lot of toothpaste, isn’t it? Now for the second group, your job is to stuff the toothpaste back into the tube. Go ahead and try it. (Let any stuffer who wants to attempt it, try it.) The second group has a much more difficult job, don’t they? Really it’s an impossible task. Once that toothpaste has been squeezed out of the tube, there’s no putting it back.

There are some things that, once they’re out, you wouldn’t want to put back. After you get a tangle out of your hair, you wouldn’t want to put it back. After a mommy goes through labor and gives birth to a wonderful baby, she’s very happy to be able to hold and cuddle her baby. She wouldn’t want to put the baby back inside.

But there are some things that, once they’re out, you wish you could take back, like mean words, bad words, and lies. They are like this toothpaste. They come out so easily, but are they easy to take back? Once we’ve said something, can we grab it real quick and stuff it back into our mouths? No, we can’t, even if we wish we could.

In the Bible in the book of Ephesians it says, “Let there be no more bad words, but good words instead; words which God can use to help other people. Your talk should not be about nastiness or silliness, but about how thankful we are to God” (Eph. 4:29; 5:4, author’s paraphrase). And in Matthew, we’re told that God will make us explain every word, good or bad, that we have spoken.

Next time you brush your teeth and you’re squeezing that toothpaste out onto your brush, think about how words are like toothpaste. Once they’re out, you can’t take them back. So, as you’re looking at that toothpaste, remember to be careful of what you say. Oh, and don’t forget to brush your teeth.

Prayer:  Forgive us, Lord, for careless or mean words. Help us to only use good and helpful words.

Key Words: Language, Words, Appropriate, Swearing