This will not be long, so give me just a moment (most of
us don't like "long sermons" anyway). "Mellow" means
"ripe, soft, and with good flavor; sweet and juicy." And in the
figurative sense, it means, "softened and made wise by age or
experience." Remember this definition.
When I was younger, some godly, older men would often say to
me, "You are preaching the truth, but the way you say it is too
harsh." Thus I learned (hopefully) that you can do a right
thing in the wrong way, or putting it in scriptural language, I learned that we
should always be careful to "speak the truth in love." I
just read a recently printed message on the new birth, and the wise, elderly
preacher said this: "And I mean this without intending any offense
toward those precious children of God, who believe the contrary system. I
have learned, or, at least I am trying to learn, to be more considerate, to be
more courteous, than I have in the past toward those precious children of God,
who have never come to understand and to appreciate some of the doctrines that
are so precious to you and me." He has "mellowed," in
other words. Note the kind words, "those precious children of
God," and "I am trying to learn to be more considerate, to be more
courteous, than I have in the past." Let us all learn here that we
must view others as true children of God, even though they differ with us
in doctrine or denomination.
What of you, dear friend? I still know some elderly men
who need mellowing. We must remember what Elihu said, "Great men are not always wise"
(Job 32:9), nor are young men always arrogant and foolish. Grace
must temper us, no matter what our age. Especially our tongues and
attitudes. There was strife among brethren all through Scripture, but it
is not for us to emulate (Genesis 13:8; Luke 22:24). Our only Model
is the Humble Servant of Jehovah, our Lord Jesus Christ (Luke 22:27; John
13:15). Men can often make us brash and harsh, but not so our lovely
Lord. Listen to these quotes:
"The tongue is in a wet place, and easily
slips." "The tongue is not steel, but it cuts."
"The tongue bites sharper than the teeth."
"I consider looseness with words no less a defect than looseness of the
bowels" (John Calvin).
"But the tongue can no man tame" (James 3:8) -- nor
our harsh, unloving attitudes. Only the softening, mellowing grace of God
can do that.
