Today’s program was written by Jerry Price.

Did you watch any of the Republican or Democratic National Convention stuff a while back? I’m not going to weigh in on which political party is right or wrong, but my observation centers on how these political conventions run and what the media does. After all, I’ve lived through several U.S. Presidents and have been witnessing these “Last Word Games” over and over, till the national stomach turns!

i saw convention delegates cheering keynote speakers, followed by comments from news people. Then, at times, we’d see a shift into Last Word Games. The agendas flew, depending on the media person or the guest they invited to comment on the speakers. It’s almost like watching the Green Bay Packers play the Dallas Cowboys. It is a type of last word game as the clock ticks down.

Sometimes I see this game played when counseling marriages. “No I didn’t say that!” “Yes you did and…”, then the one upping each other starts. Wish I could say I haven’t played the last word game but I can’t. Or how about a man and wife arguing about something ‘er other, and right at the crescendo, one of them turns away, spits out some pointed, caustic stream of words thrown over their shoulder, then goes through a door and slams it before the other person can reply.

Grade school kids play it when they argue with other kids about who is number one. Then insults fly and we might hear something like “Your mother wears combat boots!” Wish I was making this up but I actually remember hearing that when I was a kid. Those were fighting words!

The rule for Last Word games is “I’ll get control. I’ll run the show and if you don’t let me, I’ll hurt you.” Getting the last word means “I win and you lose!”, like firing a parting shot over your shoulder as you leave the room, leaving the other person no recourse but to lose the argument. Getting the last word serves as a clinching argument that will make up for any deficiencies in your logic. Getting the last word in the moment, also brings the advantage that you possibly may point to your success in the debate as the ultimate concluding argument for future debates. However, if you did not win the last debate, last word game players will often still incessantly and loudly claim that they did have the parting, winning shot.

i’d suppose many people figure, if you can just come up with that one, amazing, phenomenal statement of the “truth,” you can set your partner straight, and you’ll be right and they’ll see the ultimate error of their ways. Unfortunately, strategizing like that during a dispute is highly likely to only erode feelings of trust and good faith. You may be “technically correct”, but in truth, you’ve only caused your partner to feel that you care less about the relationship and more about winning.

These games always spring from what i call “avoidance strategies” where fearful thinking threatens the last word game player. Then “Boom!” the individual starts acting like a big shot, a tough, or sneaky person – it’s not what they’re saying as much as what they’re not saying that controls you. How manipulative is that thinking!

i believe there is another perspective which should persuade us when we are engaged in a tug of war over who gets the last word. God gets the first word in our lives, and the truth is, He also gets the last word. None of us had the advantage of saying to whom we were born, what color our hair would be, or what language we would speak. The first word in our lives is in the providence of God. On the end of things, the Lord has the last word too. We don’t get to decide when we die, how we will die, or where the end will happen. Again, that is in the providence of the Lord. In 2 Chronicles 18 Ahab was told by the prophet that if he went to war he was going to die. Arrogant Ahab thought he’d get the last word by saying, “I’ll deal with you when i get back!”, then drove off to war, overconfident, and hard hearted. Ahab thought he’d have the last word on the battle, proving to everyone that he was the King and nobody could tell him what to do! As it turns out, God’s man heard the Lord correctly and Ahab died, killed by a no-name soldier. We may play last word games, but truthfully, God is the one who always gets the last word … on everything.

Here’s something I do to mind this gap. On the spot, I call it out in a matter of fact manner. Then, I’ll encourage the hard work of letting others think for themselves, which is what Jesus did with Pilate in John 18:34 by asking “Is this your own question, or did someone tell you about me?” i believe the Lord respects those who own their own choices and conclusions. God always has the last word in our life.

Thanks for listening, i’m Social Porter for Living In His Name.