I've always enjoyed listening to impersonators. Those are folks that can imitate another persons voice. And over the years I have myself learned how to imitate the voices of other people. Now, I'm not very good at it, but it's very entertaining! (Or at least I thought so.)
Well, this week Holy Spirit has been challenging me about this little habit that I have of imitating the accents and voices of people of different ethnic groups. I found myself a couple of times this past week, making fun of people of a different ethnicity, and realized that this was not appropriate. God by The Holy Spirit was making me aware that this was sin.
I asked for God's forgiveness and began to seek to repent. My question was "Why do I do this?" My first thought was about being prejudiced. And my habit of impersonating other ethnic groups is a form of prejudice. As I continued to pray and ask for direction, I realized that this habit is always in social situations where I'm trying to be funny and entertaining.
I realized that my desire in these situations is to fit in and to be like by those around me. There's nothing wrong with this, because we all have a deep desire for connecting with others. But, sinning in order to get that acceptance is obviously not appropriate. I wonder how many times, I compromise my integrity and quench Holy Spirit in my life, in the effort to be accepted by others?
Ephesians 4:29 says, "Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers." Whether I thought it was funny or not, corrupt words have been proceeding out my mouth, all for the sake of being funny. I have asked God by His Spirit to help me put this sin of the flesh to death in my life.
I'm looking forward to conversations in the future without this habit. Have a great day and may your words always be encouraging to others.
