“We all fail in many areas, but especially with our words. Yet if we’re able to bridle the words we say we are powerful enough to control ourselves in every way, and that means our character is mature and fully developed.” (James 3:2 TPT)
The Smurfs were a popular cartoon series in the 1980’s. These little, blue creatures with white hats and pants all looked similar. However, they were named according to their different roles/characteristics: Clumsy Smurf, Grouchy Smurf, Vanity Smurf, Brainy Smurf, etc. There were over a hundred Smurf personalities representing a wide array of common human traits. They ran around Smurf village, always up to some mischief which would be resolved by the end of each episode.
Somehow, these funny cartoon characters allowed me to view my strengths and flaws from a different perspective. I learned to imagine my quirks as small blue cartoon characters running around in my head: Scaredy Smurf, Snarky Smurf, Sassy Smurf, Bossy Smurf, Thrifty Smurf, Cautious Smurf, Chatty Smurf, etc. Miniaturizing my weaknesses and giving them silly names made them seem more manageable.
Some people inflate their strengths and successes, while others magnify their flaws and failures. Enlarging our character traits makes them less manageable. Shrinking them down, on the other hand, curtails their power over us. We all fail in many areas. Yet, if we’re able to bridle our thoughts and words, we become powerful enough to control ourselves in every way.
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