People just love to play with words...

One of my favorite bands from the Eighties was Men at Work. Though hard to pick a favorite song of theirs, this particular one is somewhat relevant:

I'm not tryin' to impress you with my lines.
They don't mean nothin' at all.
It's just another expression of mine.
It don't mean nothin' at all.

Epiphany: e·piph·a·ny  [ih-pif-uh-nee]  noun - a moment in which you suddenly see or understand something in a new or very clear way.

That is a word that would have made my older brother accuse me of being a sesquipedalian. Only he wouldn't have used that word, he would have just told me I was trying to use big words - which I did, often. 

In my previous blog post, I ended with these words, “Yet, I still feel like a fish out of water in this country. …  I still feel like I've only just come back to the States.”

And now here's my epiphany: I hope I always do. I hope I always feel like a fish out of water. A stranger in a foreign country. I still can't bring myself to call Jenks or Tulsa or my house "home". I hope I never do. 

I have decided that my words are important. I have always wanted to let my yes be yes and my no be no (James 5:12). But that is my word. Now I think more and more about my wordS.

Jesus says, "I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." Matthew 12:36, 37. I believe that. 

In John 21, Jesus chooses His words carefully as He has a conversation with Peter. He calls him Simon instead of Cephas or Peter - a possible allusion to the rock having faltered in Peter's denials. He asks him almost the same question three times. Altering it slightly, as Peter's denials varied slightly to the same but slightly different accusations of knowing or being with Jesus. This is but one of many biblical examples of the words used being chosen carefully - deliberately. Why should my speech be chosen in any less a deliberate way?

There are phrases I use regularly which I have tried and continue to try to remove from use. Some are just redundant. Why say "Honestly,..." or "To tell you the truth,..." before saying what you really want to say? Does that mean if you don't start your sentences with this, you won't be honest or telling me the truth? I don't like that I still say, "Oh, my!" or "My word!" or "Good grief!" or (more recently for some reason) "Good gravy!" These expressions don't convey much meaning, if any. They can be misconstrued as substitutive for other phrases which profane God's name. That troubles me. 

The most offensive to myself is "Holy [blank]" where the blank for me is usually "cow". God has elected to call Himself "Holy" and name certain things "holy" and others things He does not. Though I still struggle with this, I find the use of this phrase (and its variants) as bad as the "big" curse words. After re-reading the Old Testament recently, I've firmly established my belief that "Holy" is God's word - who am I to take it for my own?

The next with which I still struggle is "home". I want to reserve the word "home" for the only home I have - heaven. This is a decision I have made to try and give to God what is His and not water down my words, and thus my life. When Nate is out playing and it is time for him to return, it is easy to just text him or call him and say, "Come home." Many of you (if you are still reading this) at this point are thinking to yourself, "He's crazy. This is just semantics. ... " Maybe so, but I would argue, if our vocabulary more accurately reflected our intentional decision to reflect our permanent and dedicated (consecrated) life and relationship with Jesus, our life will also reflect that.

A few other words or phrases I cannot adopt (possibly just showing age or aged mentality), from today's vernacular are: "love on" (just slightly creepy to me, no big issue with it); "get my [blank] on" (A currently popular song uses this in reference to preparing for worship: "get my worship on" to which I say, where is the line we cross from reverent to irreverent? I realize I may be in the minority with this one, too, but I just can't do that in relation to the Maker of the Universe.); and "tribes" (When used referring to differing religious organizations under the same general banner, i.e. Christianity. This is a modern version of the once popular "I'm OK, you're OK" from when I was a child. Maybe that is a discussion for another time.) 

Jesus says, "I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." Matthew 12:36, 37. I believe that. Do you? How do I, in my own life, show that I believe this? How do I guard my tongue? It isn't easy, but I think it is necessary.