The Plumbline

Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. (Ephesians 4:29 NLT) "The two words 'information' and 'communication' are often used interchangeably, but they signify quite different things. Information is giving out; communication is getting through." (Sydney J. Harris) We all have tried to communicate with others, only to find what we thought we were getting through to them was actually 'lost in interpretation' somewhere along the way. They come away feeling confused, frustrated, hurt, at a loss. You thought you 'got through' only to find you added fuel to a smoldering fire or set up things for a doozie of a fight somewhere in what you were saying. Words have an impact, but God asks us to use them in such a manner so as to be helpful, encouraging, and in some way so that what is said is actually heard. I daresay that most of what we consider to be 'communicating' is nothi...

We should help others do what is right and build them up in the Lord. (Romans 15:2 NLT) I have had both good and bad influences in my life. As a child, I was kind of a follower, doing whatever the others in my neighborhood did. As an adult, I had to reconsider some of my decisions, though. Not all of those choices were wise. Some of the people I hung around with influenced me in a very positive way, while others didn't quite have the same effect. The longer we live, the greater the chances are that we will encounter both good and bad influences. The choice as to which to follow, and thus become, is ours! We can be quick to point out when another is doing wrong with their life, making unwise choices that don't actually do much to improve their life and possibly even making it a bit worse in the end. Do we consistently do what is right in our own lives? It is likely that we struggle a bit to make wise choices from time to time. The hope is that those unwise choices aren't co...