Many people throw around the words "I'll pray for you" with little sincerity, others say it and mean it in the moment, but forget as the day goes on, and a few say it and do it in that moment, and fewer still don't say it, but immediately pray. For a long time I was one of the ones who said it, and later forgot. This changed for me over time though as I realized this pattern of behavior and took steps to change it in myself and I became one of the ones to say it and immediately pray, sometimes typing it in the response to the person who asked and other times just bowing my head and praying as my heart was led.
I started to think about this today and a couple verses came to mind that has me thinking, where else in my life do I need to be accountable to my words? The verses I'm referring to are found in Matthew 12; verses 36 & 37, they read: 36 "But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. 37 "For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." Maybe I'm miss interpreting this verse, maybe I'm taking it to far, both are possible after all I'm only human, but when I read the word 'careless' and then verse 37 my heart was convicted to change. Suddenly I saw how many times I said I would do something with the best of intentions, and didn't. I saw how often my words fell flat, and how over time people begin to see you as unreliable when that is the case.
I never thought about this in this way before, I never thought anything was wrong with what I was doing because in my heart I meant what I said when I said it, I just forgot when I got busy with other things. I have always cut myself a lot of slack in this area because again when I said the words they were true, and I always just expected others to cut me the same slack and would even get offended when they didn't, but this is changing. Before I even saw this verse, God had been working on my heart about this, when it came to prayer reminding me how important these prayers could be to those people who asked, and now with these verses He is spreading that accountability to all my words. I am learning to be careful in my speech, and to follow through as well, which I'll be honest isn't always easy, I still have a ways to in this area but I am making the effort.
The cool thing is, that as I hold myself accountable for my words, picking them carefully and doing everything I can to follow thru, my joy is increasing. I am no longer feeling bad about forgetting things or getting caught up elsewhere, and I'm not getting defensive when people are upset that I didn't follow thru. They might be mad in the moment when I say 'no' or 'I'm not sure I have time for that' but it is an anger that quickly passes and is forgiven swiftly because I was honest about the circumstances. And it allows our relationship to have more trust and faith between us because they know when I say yes I mean it and if I'm saying no there's good reason. Now I want to ask you, is there anywhere where can you be more accountable? What things have you been letting slide? Be blessed brothers and sisters.
Proverbs 11:3
The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them
Proverbs 18:21
The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit
Matthew 12:36-37
36 "But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. 37 "For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."
2 Corinthians 8:21
For we aim at what is honorable not only in the Lord's sight but also in the sight of man.
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