Broken Trust

Broken trust hurts more than broken bones.  Broken trust can break a person's heart.  Words are the weapon that so frequently destroys a relationship.

We all have told "little white lies."  For example--when we say there is a Santa Claus; or when the phone rings and you tell your child to answer it and say you're not home.  Promises are broken on a regular basis.  Yes, I'll play catch with you when I get home....but when you do get home, you're too tired to play.  What we fail to realize is that we're "training" our children to LIE!

"Death and life are in the power of the tongue!"  [Proverbs 18:21]  We damage and kill relationships.  We debilitate by deliberately lying and breaking promises.  I heard this quote...and it certainly is true:  "The tongue is but 6 inches long, yet it can kill a man 6 feet tall!"  Women--our muscles are not as powerful as a man's....but our tongue is a sharp weapon of destruction!  (Vice-versa, too!)

Whoever wrote the little verse, "Sticks and stones will break my bones, but names will never hurt me" didn't know what they were talking about! 

When someone is untruthful with you, it changes your future with them.  When we are careless ("I could care less!") or insincere with our words, we murder marriages, kill friendships, and ruin our reputation. 

I make a joke about the "new wedding vows"--I say they go like this:  "For better or for worse...in sickness or in health....OR--UNTIL I GET BORED!"  Folks, it's gotten just about that bad!

If we want to be Christ-like, we need to be trustworthy.  Say what you mean--mean what you say--think before you speak!  Trash talk is so commonplace; garbage mouths and gossip invade daily conversations.  Speak the truth, but speak with love.  Build one another up--don't tear each other down!

James 3:2 says that "we all stumble in many things.  If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man."  It seems to me that we stumble over our words more often than we stumble over our feet. 

Watch your step today....but, more importantly, watch what you say!