Pure Words

"Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar." -Proverbs 30:5,6

Responding to people in haste or in anger means we make mistakes. Speaking in anger or haste about Scripture means our mistakes are even greater. When we speak as Christians we must realize the weight of our words and what they say about the Savior we claim to follow. Would your words represent the Jesus of the Bible? Mine don't always give a strong witness of His character.

When I became a pastor I realized something much too late: Your words carry far more weight than you realize (especially as a pastor). We should be careful what we say. Some people will count your words on par with Scripture because they know you're a Christian. Don't be flippant with your words. Don't take this lightly.

When you give advice or counsel your words should mirror Scripture. When your friends ask what you think of the world or their troubles, reference Scripture. If you realize you don't know Scripture well enough to correctly use it, you better start reading your Bible. God will give you the mind and appetite for the Word.

If we think we're quoting Scripture or understand the mystery of Godliness but we haven't actually searched the Bible ourselves we can be sure we are farther off than we think. Stop speaking words you choose yourself and start speaking the pure words of God found in Scripture. Stop making mistakes and lying in the eyes of God. Let God speak for Himself through you.

Breathing

Little comes more naturally than the simple (and yet, complex) act of inhaling and exhaling. Breathing is generally considered an involuntary action. We don't think about it. The oxygen and other life-sustaining gases are drawn into the lungs and out comes the carbon dioxide and other unnecessary gases. (Obviously I did very well in Anatomy and Physiology in high school with this technical description of breathing. [heavy sarcasm])

Jokes have been told of people who must be reminded to breathe by a recording. Some people need to be reminded to breathe in times of great stress or anxiety. (In my case I have to remind myself to breathe while lifting weights - a time of both great stress and anxiety.) But breathing is so natural to me I don't usually give it a second thought.

Does this mean I should never think about it? Does this mean breathing is not important? Or does my lack of thought on the matter make zero difference to the importance of breathing? Perhaps it has always been vitally important and especially in times of my greatest need of oxygen the thought of breathing held overwhelming position in my consciousness.

(You're probably thinking, "Get to the point, Aaron!")

Here's the point: if I fail to think of breathing it does not diminish the importance of breathing. Breathing is still central to my existence; whether I am conscious of it or not. Breathing does not care if I think about it. It will continue to be.

Jesus is the Sustainer of my breath. He has always been. He will always be. Whether I believe in Him or not does not diminish His importance or determine His existence. And just like breathing I often take for granted the depth and width of His presence in my life. Without Christ I would be dead - physically and spiritually.

Do not let Jesus be an involuntary reflex. Have Jesus be central to your thoughts all day, every day. Give Jesus the second, third and fourth thoughts He deserves and desperately desires.

The Power of Transparency

A pastor recently tweeted from a young adult retreat, "The church has failed young people because the older generation hasn't been transparent with their struggles." (@matthewgamble)

All I could think was Wow.

My Christian experience was formed in the context of a fairly rigid, yet loving, home. The church we attended was friendly and outgoing but not very open about the things burdening people. My family never talked about the underlying reasons for fights or the real events family members endured but no one wanted to acknowledge existed. As a result I formed an unrealistic view of what Christianity and being a follower of Jesus was supposed to be.

Relationships without transparency are destined to struggle and, potentially, fail. When spouses hide from each other the marriage is headed for disaster. When families fail to share struggles and sins, they look less like a family and more like strangers sharing a house. When churches perpetuate the put-on-a-happy-face-when-inside-you're-a-wreck mentality, we set each other up for a miserable, unfulfilling church life.

There's a reason Hebrews 10:25 tells us to spend time with others who believe in God. There's a reason James implores us to "Confess your trespasses to one another and pray." (James 5:16) We build each other up when we carry a portion of the burden for one another. We begin to see Christianity as the marathon it is.

Find a trusted friend, pastor or family member and talk about your struggles. Recognize your Christian experience, rocky and warty as it may be, is just like everyone else's. It's a road requiring perseverance. You can make it. And others will be there to help you make it.