Remember when people used to shake hands to seal a contract? Can you even imagine that in our world now; a world where even legal contracts get broken?! We have conditioned ourselves to live for ourselves. Our word means nothing, we are too opinionated and outspoken. We are all about instant and self gratification, and the disloyalty's that are displayed to the people we call friends is mind-boggling.
People no longer seem to have an 'appropriate,' or 'inappropriate' filter through which conversations flow. Nowadays, it's I think it, I speak it. We are losing something so valuable when we can so easily disregard others and think so highly of ourselves. But the issue doesn't start on our lips. It all begins in our hearts. I know personally, I want God to cleanse me of everything that negates my heart to veer to the ugly. I don't want ANY assumptions of people, judgments or criticisms, or even the 'truth' to interfere with the real identity of others. I want to see people as they were created; pure, lovely, IMperfect, yet very lovable. When we spew our vomit to other people, we are just building walls up around their identity, and also to ours. Why waste such precious words on something so ugly?
There's a story that comes to mind. A story that most know if even one Sunday was spent in church as a child. This story is about a man who wanted to see the Son of God, yet was of short stature and could not see through the crowd. Jesus was headed their way, so Zacchaeus looked around hurriedly, grasping at something to stand on. There it was, towering over the entire crowd; a sycamore tree. He climbed to the highest branch, and when he did, the face of Jesus was as clear as the morning sky. He stood and gazed in awe.
Our words should mimic the essence of the sycamore tree. Our words should heal, uplift, and sustain others to the point where as we speak, roots begin to form right beneath their feet. Our words should be a branch for someone else to climb upon, not something to beat them down with. Our words should call a tree into action; a tree that is strategically placed directly in front of our Father's face. So when we help propel them up, the Lord will be looking right back, call them by name, and proclaim, 'For I am coming to YOUR house today!'
***A word in season is a fountain of life***
***Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Ephesians 4:29***
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