WORD!

On this “D-Day” in world history, rather that discuss the important War of D-Day, I want to speak here about the WOR–D.  WORD!  WORD UP!  My WORD!  Keep your WORD.  God’s WORD!  The WORD!  A WORD by any number of expressions means so much!  It is such a basic 4 letter WORD that volumes have been written about it, especially in its Greek, philosophical, and biblical form—Logos.  In English, WORD is so foundational that it refers to any accepted combination of letters with meaning and can even mean various things itself depending on how it is expressed.  Regardless of how you understand WORD, it is indeed tragic when you fail to understand THE WORD and fail to keep your word.

Everyone appreciates someone they can count on, someone that will keep their word.  In a day and age when any number of forms of lying are justified and genuine commitment is difficult to find, being a person known to keep your word is even more important for your own success, your health, and whatever relationships you have with others.  If you have contact with others on any regular basis you are aware of how often people let you down by not even keeping their word to you (your response to this is also important, though I will not address that here).  A whole host of reasons may be given as to why a person fails to keep his or her word, yet very few seem legitimate.  You may, as I do, often hear people say, “Who can you really trust?”  Well, can people trust you to keep your word?  Can your boss?  Can your spouse?  Can your children?  Can your friends?  Can the LORD?

We all have expectations of others (and even ourselves) and are often disappointed when our expectations go unmet.  Sometimes the expectations are realistic and sometimes they are not.  Far worse that unmet expectations is the disappointment and disillusionment that comes when someone says they will do or will not do something and then they do not live up to what they said.  But, people are very busy today and may even have personal difficulties or be in economic hardship.  There is so much going on and the tendency is to jump from one thing to the next; often, people simply forget what they have said.  No mere human being will always live up to everything they say, yet we most often could at any given point.  When you find yourself too busy or complacent to consistently live up to what you say, then you had better look hard at how you live and what you need to do to change.

Keeping every word you say may seem trivial or “little” compared to all of the interaction you have with others, but, OH, how important it is (see my previous blog:  “The BIG, Middle and little”)!  If you are not faithful and dependable with the little things, then how can you be trusted with bigger things?  If you do not live up to everything you say, then you had best learn to only say what you will live up to.  Keeping your word, even in the small things you say, is a reflection of your character.

GOD lives up to what He says as is proven in history and documented in God’s Word—the Bible.  This is not always in the timing or way that we think, but He always keeps His Word!  In fact, your Creator, JESUS CHRIST is called “THE WORD” and is the One as God who became flesh and gave Himself for us (see John 1).  If you hope to be a person known for keeping your word, you need to have the help of the One Who has always kept His Word.  He has objectively given us His Word in written form as well.  We must read, study and use this historical and eternal Word as our guidebook for life!

D (the) Judgment Day is coming!  Jesus’ word in Matthew 12:36 is:

“But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.”