John 4:48 Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.

There are all kinds of signs. Some are serious, some are funny. Some help you find your direction, some warn of possible danger. Some signs you see so often you do not pay any attention to them and if they were changed, you might not notice. When did they raise the speed limit on I-35 to 75 MPH?

I’ve had signs on my mind all week. I’ve been looking for meaning and I was unsure if I was going to find anything meaningful in my seeking. Maybe that’s the wonder part. Then something happened yesterday that brought the subject into focus.

I was speaking at the Men’s Breakfast at church and must have used the word “nobody” without thinking that it was a negative absolute. A man called me on it. In a loud gruff tone he said, “Don’t say nobody. That’s not true.” My reaction was first to be hurt then defensive. Guess what, “There’s your sign!”

I was defensive because there have been so many times that I jump on a word and make a big deal out of it. It has nothing to do with being right or wrong, it has everything to do with being gracious in correction. No one likes to be confronted abrasively. I can accept correction, I am not so stiff necked as to deny I make mistakes. The manner in which correction is administered does matter. For the sake of fellowship, be gracious in correction.

Colossians 4:6 Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

Pride is easier to swallow if seasoned properly.