Jesus said that we will be judged for every casual word we utter. In a culture filled with talking heads spewing endless chatter, perhaps our greatest Christian witness might be to just refrain from speaking at all!
We could proclaim in silence by living Holy lives and refusing to be caught up in the endless verbal attacks; that would make us really stand out among those who do not know Christ. Then, when they ask, we will finally have something to say that is worthy of the air that fills our lungs.
But there is a favorite point of integrity that captures my mind, found in Psalms 15:4.
"He swears to his own hurt, and does not change";
There are some that read that and have stopped reading the rest because that verse just flew over their heads. ...Smile! But, be patient, there is good stuff in there let's look at it for a second.
This deals with the wagging tongues of men, but calls us to consider the promises we make. I am convinced that this axiom [or self-evident truth] was consistently applied to in our lives, we would, on this basis alone , be known as men and women of integrity.
Keeping the promises that are easy is no measure of character. Everyone shows up when the task is easy or fun. But what do we do when the obligation is greater than the anticipated, or we would rather be somewhere else? How enthusiastic are we when we realize that the pledge we made will become a real sacrifice?
The problem is we separate what we claim from what we do. We make a promise then fail to keep it because the terms were not what we anticipated. This is not a failure of circumstance, it is a failure of our Character.
When we obligate ourselves, that verbal pronouncement becomes a contract. To go back on our word is to devalue all that we say or claim; it reduces the significance of all our words.
If we do this enough times no one will take us seriously, nor should they. Our words are the currency of our conversation, and the gold behind that currency is our action. Without the weight of action, the currency of our speech becomes useless for any exchange, and our only hope becomes a career in politics....God Forbid!!!!
In many cases we are guilty of simply saying "Yes" too quickly.
It is pleasing to respond with an enthusiastic affirmative when some great idea comes along, but then reality sets in and we wish we had not volunteered so readily. If we connect action to word before we speak at all, we would be forced to count the cost of what we are about to say before our words commit us to potential loss.
When the phrase "Swear to His own hurt"..is used, it doesn't mean that we make promises that we know will harm us, it means that once the obligation is discovered to be more than we bargained for, we don't back down.
We have committed the weight of our character to the task, and the commitment is based on our promise not our later regrets.
Once again, it seems the best policy is to just hush. Stop and consider what will be involved before saying anything. This is not to say that we should never step up to an obligation, but we should realize that once we say it, it's as good as done. There is no turning back!
My greatest gift to anyone?.......It Is Integrity, a Man sold out to Christ- Integrity.......
We could proclaim in silence by living Holy lives and refusing to be caught up in the endless verbal attacks; that would make us really stand out among those who do not know Christ. Then, when they ask, we will finally have something to say that is worthy of the air that fills our lungs.
But there is a favorite point of integrity that captures my mind, found in Psalms 15:4.
"He swears to his own hurt, and does not change";
There are some that read that and have stopped reading the rest because that verse just flew over their heads. ...Smile! But, be patient, there is good stuff in there let's look at it for a second.
This deals with the wagging tongues of men, but calls us to consider the promises we make. I am convinced that this axiom [or self-evident truth] was consistently applied to in our lives, we would, on this basis alone , be known as men and women of integrity.
Keeping the promises that are easy is no measure of character. Everyone shows up when the task is easy or fun. But what do we do when the obligation is greater than the anticipated, or we would rather be somewhere else? How enthusiastic are we when we realize that the pledge we made will become a real sacrifice?
The problem is we separate what we claim from what we do. We make a promise then fail to keep it because the terms were not what we anticipated. This is not a failure of circumstance, it is a failure of our Character.
When we obligate ourselves, that verbal pronouncement becomes a contract. To go back on our word is to devalue all that we say or claim; it reduces the significance of all our words.
If we do this enough times no one will take us seriously, nor should they. Our words are the currency of our conversation, and the gold behind that currency is our action. Without the weight of action, the currency of our speech becomes useless for any exchange, and our only hope becomes a career in politics....God Forbid!!!!
In many cases we are guilty of simply saying "Yes" too quickly.
It is pleasing to respond with an enthusiastic affirmative when some great idea comes along, but then reality sets in and we wish we had not volunteered so readily. If we connect action to word before we speak at all, we would be forced to count the cost of what we are about to say before our words commit us to potential loss.
When the phrase "Swear to His own hurt"..is used, it doesn't mean that we make promises that we know will harm us, it means that once the obligation is discovered to be more than we bargained for, we don't back down.
We have committed the weight of our character to the task, and the commitment is based on our promise not our later regrets.
Once again, it seems the best policy is to just hush. Stop and consider what will be involved before saying anything. This is not to say that we should never step up to an obligation, but we should realize that once we say it, it's as good as done. There is no turning back!
My greatest gift to anyone?.......It Is Integrity, a Man sold out to Christ- Integrity.......
