Simple Speech (posted by Shelly)

Simple speech isn't always the first thing that comes to mind when we're thinking of ways to live out our simplicity, but I think it's a good one, and one that I constantly have to work on. Jesus' instructs us to use simple speech in Matt 5:37 - "Let your word be 'Yes, Yes' or 'No, No'; anything more than this comes from the evil one." I guess to me this means:
- MINIMIZE WORDS - say what i mean (being loving and attempting to minimize harm, of course). be direct and to the point. don't waste words. for all who know me, i know i know, to say i'm working on this may sound laughable - i def still tend to talk too much! ok, i'm a work in progress! :o)
- BE AUTHENTIC - say nice things only when I really mean them. sometimes it's all too easy to shower others with praise, not even realizng that my unconscious motive may be to gain their friendship, approval, or love. if i can't think of anything "real" to say, it's good to remember that silence is very okay.
- LET GOD BE YOUR JUSTIFYER - it's interesting to realize how much extra energy we use with explanations to justify ourselves to others, subtlely mentioning things that i did that day that make me sound like a good mom, or a good Christian, or a good member of society. for example, if i decide not to attend a class playdate at jumpzone, I may be tempted to offer explanation of my thought process or other excuses to validate my decision among other moms. i may even be tempted to make sure that ALL of the other moms have the chance to hear my list of excuses. the real question is why do i even NEED these other people to understand my decisions or actions. sometimes it's productive and builds up the kingdom for me to be understood, but often, i just want to avoid being misunderstood so that i'll feel liked and enjoy the approval of others. ultimately, God's approval is all I should need. :o)