Pretty Words

"We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check." James 3:2

"But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgement for every carless word they have spoken." Matthew 12:36

How carelessly we use words... Most people when discussing this topic tend to focus on the negative words we speak, how destructive and hurtful they can be to the person who hears and receives them, but have you ever considered that the "positive" words we speak, should be spoken with equal caution and care?

The best illustration I can find for this is dating relationships. Most everyone can look back at a past relationship and see how carelessly words can be spoken. Maybe someone told you that they would love you forever, or that you were "the one." Maybe you planned on what you would name your children or where you would go on your honeymoon. Maybe you were the one making promises, maybe it was the other person in the relationship, perhaps both. But as the relationship is in the past, we all know how that turned out- with broken promises and broken hearts to follow.

I know that in past relationships, whether recent or long gone, people tend to look back and say "He/she was such a liar" or maybe "I only thought I loved her/him." Often time we speak pretty words to others based on emotions or circumstances, and obviously all pretty words aren't bad. But there comes a point where we have to reach a level of maturity that recognizes the power in empty words.

I know that I can say that in relationships, I don't speak words carelessly. I have never told someone I loved them and not meant it. But I have made promises that I was unable to keep, either due to circumstance, selfishness or that persons inability to let me keep those promises. I have always valued words, because I want the words spoken to me to be true.
I have always considered love a very black and white thing. You love someone or you don't. To me, love is also a consistent and infinite thing. If you love someone, you will love them the rest of your life, or you never loved them. But what does love really look like?

If someone tells you they love you all the time, but never make any effort to get to know you or spend time with you, does that equal love? If they are never willing to put you first, or sacrifice for you, does that equal love? If they always talk and never listen, does that equal love? If they never call or text, does that equal love? If they never open up the depths of their heart to you, does that equal love? I don't think so. It's funny because there are different love languages, and actually a primary one of mine is "words of affirmation," however I'm learning that no matter how many words I speak it's actions that really count.

I wonder how many times we speak pretty words to God and have no action to back it up. Of course we want God to do what He said He would do in his word, but we can sing songs of our love and make promises to him that we may or may not put into action. How often have we told God we loved him, adored him, or worshiped him and then haphazardly walked out of that service feeling better, but not putting those words into action in our lifestyle? How often have we told God that we were surrendering everything to Him, and then resumed the worries and stress of our life immediately after? How often have we told God that we were committed to His purpose, and then ignored opportunities he presents us or continued to make decisions based on our own logic or will? How often have we promised God that we would never (fill in the blank here) again, only to walk away and commit the same sin again?

All of the things that have hurt us in past relationships and friendships, are things we do to God every day. We look at the people who hurt us with anger or contempt and call them a "liar" or if we were the one who did the hurting we justify our actions based on where we were at the time. But God ALWAYS receives us with love and forgiveness, no matter how many times we try to smooth things over with pretty words and prove ourselves unfaithful. God made the ultimate sacrifice for us. Gods word is ALWAYS TRUE.

I hope that as I'm learning this, that my words to God, won't be pretty, but true. That my words won't hold the weight of my worship to God, but that my actions will. I want God to know that I love him because my lifestyle shouts my love for Him from the rooftops. I want my love for God to be a pursuit. I want to love Him the way that I hope my future husband will love me. I want to love God in a selfless, sacrificing, public spectacle kind of way.

If we can ever get to the place where we realize that true love is action, that loving God means action, that loving others means action. That kind of love is beautiful and unimaginable and brings a harvest of joy. My prayer is that my words will be guarded. That God will help me forgive the people who's "pretty words" have hurt me. That the people who I've hurt in the same way will forgive me. That there will be healing and caution in the future. That if there are promises I still have the opportunity to keep, that God will show me how to back them up. And most importantly that my life would be my worship to God, not just my words.

Currently Reading: The Power of the Blood of Jesus by Andrew Murray