The Power of words and how it matters.

 This isn’t a new concept; nothing each of us don’t already know however it is something that I struggle with both in the words that I use and the way I allow other people’s words to affect me. If only I was truly able to follow the golden rule. I want others to treat me with respect and dignity but is that what I offer? I want others to have patience with me when I am struggling with tasks at hand or I have simply forgotten to follow through on a promise. Yet when I have to wait or feel like someone has let me down by not doing “their job” I am frustrated, offended and often self-righteous in my view of the situation.

I am proud and selfish and I hate those attributes in others. I am cynical and sarcastic but demand understanding. I am broken. I live in a broken world surrounded by broken people. That seems like such a doomed existence yet I know a higher life. I know the One who offers life. I know the Prince of Peace. I know the Healer. I know the King. Why then do I live so defeated and frustrated a good majority of my day?

I have lost perspective and focus. I have chosen to keep my head down. My eyes are not on the hills in expectation of the lifter of my head. I am not trusting in the One from whom my help is coming. I know with my head what the Scripture teaches, heck I’ve taught it to hundreds of people. Yet my own inter-dialogue and often the words from my mouth are littered with desperation and negativity. I must be honest with myself that I have chosen a lesser way. I have chosen to accept less than. I do not want this for my life; I do not want this for the life of my family. I want us to live in the fullness of God’s grace. I want us to experience the depths of this well of life that He offers. I want our words to matter first to ourselves and then because we truly believe what we say, I want my family to impact the world.

Now I am not asking for us to live in an unrealistic place. I want honesty. I understand that we still live in a broken world and we must rise above this. Things will happen that aren’t fair, that don’t make sense but it is okay because we aren’t striving to belong or remain in this world for eternity. I haven’t fallen into this ungratefulness overnight so I know it is going to be a process to change the way I think, the way I react, the way I behave. It is going to take discipline and I am often lazy. It is going to take consistency and I am often very inconsistent. But all of this again falls back to the fact that I allow excuses and ill thinking to be what drives me.

So today will be a wonderful day. I will stop the hurriedness and I will make each moment count. I will be honest about my fears but I will turn them over to the One that gives me courage. I have the same 24 hours today that every other person has been given. I will focus on making the best choice right now. I will expect great things from this day. Will you join me?