Personal Fault

“Come overwhelmed with life. Come with a wandering mind. Come messy…” Paul Miller

When I first read this line I thought of another, “Come with what you do not have and buy what’s undeserved. (Shane and Shane)”

Both struck me at an opportune time. This whole last semester has been both blurry and busy. The final semester of senior year, the changes happening at the church, the homework of every class, and the daunting third try at College Algebra all worked their ways under my skin.

Sleep wasn’t really sleep, if you know what I mean. It was a dark period where I was still tired after I woke up.

In all of this I became rather cynical (more so than normal). Judging others for their shortcomings became easy. Looking down on those of ‘lesser understanding’ was second nature. Being proud of what I know was how I’d act.

Yet conviction comes when you least expect it.

In a conversation with a friend, whom I love, talking about his very personal struggles.

It was just a passing thought in offering some advice, “You speak about how you still love the arrogant despite their sin, pride, but you don’t do that, do you Sam?”

Acting as though I had it altogether is like a vase sitting on the edge of the mantle, just waiting to be nudged off.

My point is this: I’ve not lived the mental Christian life well. The fight in your brain against sin, yea that one. Where you encourage others and, at times, reach to their level.

So, “Come overwhelmed with life. Come with a wandering mind. Come messy…” “Come with what you do not have and buy what’s undeserved.” Because He's love for his people drew Him to the cross.

Friday's Ripped from the Journal

It is becoming increasingly important in my mind that we use our words properly. A higher level of vocabulary is not what is needed rather an understanding of the words already known. For true eloquence is not in the refined spinning of a phrase but in the speaking of the heart.

In the proper use of words is meaning conveyed and pressed forward, but in the flippant sentence is a misunderstood meaning and thus something is done unintentionally. (Saying something off cuff and instantly regretting what you’ve said, It’s kind of like the dream where your running around your high school naked. That sense of ‘uh-oh I’m embarrassed.’)

Yet, if we grasp what we are saying and are endured to its truthfulness then there will be conviction in our voices and belief in our eyes. Because words are the only real magic we possess.

For with words people are transformed--changed--what was once unknown to them is now known, what was once unknown to you is now a possibility. Do you see what I mean by ‘magic’?

Life is given, pictures are painted, blindness is cured, deafness can hear, people are devastated or built up and all of this comes from our use of words. We must use them properly. They are powerful. The can cut deep and run many away from what we ‘believe.’

This is a recent conviction of mine, to think before I speak (a conviction I so often fail at). Weighing the meaning of a word and its use in a sentence to grasp and saying exactly what I mean to say. Because if it is true (and I believe it to be so) and, “Faith comes hearing and hearing from the Word of God.” (Rom. 10:17) then I’d better watch my words carefully.