Take it a step further: Can you devote a whole day to saying nice things?
That's the point of Say Something Nice Sunday, which is coming up this weekend, June 7.
The emphasis is based on Say Something Nice; Be a Lifter, a booklet written by Mitch Carnell, a Baptist layperson from Charleston, S.C.
Here's a link to a story about Say Something Nice Sunday that was published this week by Associated Baptist Press , one of our New Voice Media partners.
Trying to be nice
I like the idea, and I'm going to try it this Sunday. Hey, it's worth a try.
People like me need to be reminded to say something nice. I've been called a perfectionist, which is not a compliment. I'm hard on myself and critical of my circumstances, and all too often that spills over into expecting too much from others and failure to appreciate them as I should.
Carnell points out that what you say shapes how you feel and, of course, how you interact with other people. So, saying something nice is a great way to not only improve your life but also to encourage others. And that's not a bad goal for the first Sunday in June.
These people should try it, too
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Of course, every idea has its detactors. One critic fretted that Say Something Nice Sunday could lead to a "gospel-free Sunday." Horsehockey.
Sure, we don't want to forget about sin and its damning consequences. But one kind of sin is failure to see God's grace—in other people, in God's creation, in Bible study and worship at your church, in a summer Sunday afternoon.
So, go on. Spend Sunday saying something nice.
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