WORDS

Our words can say much more than we often realize.

For many of us we think to simplify life we’ve got to escape from all of it, go somewhere, disconnect our electricity and never drive a car again.  Many of us year after year have thought about simplifying or thought about slowing down but it’s just a thought. 

When it comes to the simple life do you want to reorganize your life or do you want to revolutionize your life?  If you want to reorganize your life any old “how to” book will do.  But if you want to revolutionize your life Jesus Christ is the one who can do that.  When we want to simplify our lives we usually want to start on the outside and reorganize this or that.  But Jesus doesn’t start there.  He starts by revolutionizing our lives from the inside out, making a difference.  He shows us how to do it in the real world that you and I live in today. 

Jesus Christ shows us how to do something.  Right here, where you live.  Right now.  He can change things, simplify things, start to work from the inside out.  A great place to start in simplifying our life is in the words we speak!  Words can tear down or they can build up.  Words can hurt or they can heal.  Our words can even define us! 

We can start to simplify our life by considering how we use words. A great place to start is being honest with our words to people.  Jesus had something to say about this. Matthew 5:37 (NIV) ^[37] Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'.

One business magazine wrote, “What separates the peak performers from the weak performers is the first group says “No” to anything that’s not important while the second group says “Yes” to everything.” 

While that may be a part of what Jesus is talking about here there’s something else.  There’s something deeper that’s at the center of what He’s saying when He says “Let your ‘yes’ be ‘yes’ and your ‘no’ be ‘no’.”  He’s talking about being honest with our words.  He’s talking about having integrity with our words.  He’s talking about not being sneaky with our words. 

Do you realize how complicated life gets just because of a single lie?  So Jesus says, “You want to make things more simple?  Be honest with people.  Don’t call it a white lie or stretching the truth or you’re doing this for their own good.  It’s amazing how much more simple things become when we tell the truth.  Be honest in your words to people.  Even though that’s tough some times, it will simplify things.

Even more we need to be honest in our words to God.  Matthew 6:6 (NIV)
^[6] But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

“Make it simple”, Jesus said.  Just talk to God.  Jesus says, “Do you want to make things simpler?” Don’t start on the outside.  Start on the inside.  Think about how you talk to God.  Do you talk to Him honestly?  Are you able to just be yourself?  I like the way Matthew 6:6 reads in The Message translation.  Jesus said…. ^[6] "Here's what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won't be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace.

Everything will be simple if we talk to God and just be ourselves in prayer.  Not just prayer will be simpler.  Everything will be simpler.  If  I can talk to God honestly in prayer because I don't have to put on a mask;  I then can see more honestly what’s happening in life.  If I don't have to put on a mask in front of God and fake it; I don’t have to fake it in front of others anymore either.  That’s how life gets simpler.

How do you talk to God honestly? You don’t talk to Him about what you think you should be thinking when you’re talking to God.  You talk to Him about what you’re really thinking.  You also talk to Him like you would to anyone else.  You don’t put on fancy words that you don’t use any other time.  You don’t use a tone of voice that you don’t use any other time.

Jesus told a story about it once.  He said there were a couple of guys in a church.  One was a religious guy, the other was a tax man who stole money from people.  The religious guy stood up and prayed, “God, thank You that I'm not like that guy over there.  He steals money from people.  I'm more holy than he is.”  The guy that was stealing money said, “God, be merciful to me.  I'm a sinner.”  Jesus asked the crowd that day, “Which prayer do you think God heard?”  The one where the guy was himself.

If you and I could just learn to be ourselves when we talk to God.  Jesus says that is one of the things that starts on the inside and works its way out and makes life simpler.  Be honest when you talk to God.  Be simple in the words that you speak.

Prayer: Psalms 19:14 (NKJV) Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer. 

Read: Psalm 119:129-135 &  Ephesians 4:25-32