Language is an oft-forgotten gift from God that enables us to effectively communicate with one another. But like any other gift, it can be used for honor or dishonor. With words we can encourage and edify, and with words we can slander and defame.
The Apostle James said it this way, “But no one among mankind can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters, these things should not be this way.” (James 3:8-10)
Our family has always done a pretty good job of communicating. My dad was the master of pithy quips. He would often teach me and my siblings life lessons by using these little cleverly crafted statements. For instance, to keep us from worshipping money, he would often say, “It’s only money. Even the dogs won’t eat it.” As it related to being on time, he would beat it into our heads that “It’s better to be 30 minutes early than a minute late.” To chastise us when we would complain, he would often say, “You’d complain if you were hung with a new rope.”
Oh, there were more. If we were being annoying and he wanted us to stop, he’d often say, “You’d drive a wooden Indian to drinking.” When it came to dealing with difficult people, he would often say, “Certain people are like Mondays. Nobody likes Mondays.” And I could go on and on.
The tips below are not so much clever quips but practical (and sometimes biblical) advice from almost six decades of learning and growing. I hope you find them helpful.
- Don’t assume others know that you love and appreciate them. It’s important to first verbalize it and then let your actions verify your words.
- Care more about what God thinks than what others think. It will serve you well in this life and the next.
- Work hard at being on time. If a person is chronically late, they can be chronically early. Time management is an important discipline.
- Don’t be a slave to a diet plan. Develop a lifestyle plan that works best for you. Diet plans work in the short term but when you go off them, you will most likely gain back your weight.
- Exercise more and eat less. A myriad of folks have made oodles of cash selling their diet plans, but maintaining a modicum of health isn’t as hard as we make it seem.
- Drink coffee each morning. It’s a great kick start to your day. If you add “Cinnamon Toast Crunch” creamer to your coffee, you will be especially blessed.
- Beware of idols. Anyone or anything we put before the Lord can become an idol. Even our earthly families.
- Get a hobby, but don’t let your hobby become an idol. Having a productive outlet that you enjoy can be a good distraction from the sobering rigors of life.
- The best way to save money for the future is to put it away before you can get your hands on it. Automatic deposit into your savings account can be a huge help.
- Don’t hoard your money. The more God has blessed you with, the more you can bless others. Look to bless others in big ways not small ways.
- Keep a calendar. Life is too busy to fly by the seat of your pants. A calendar not only helps to keep you organized, it helps to track your priorities.
- Be authentic. Be vulnerable. The Lord hates fakes. Quit trying to make others think you are something you are not. Be yourself.
- Prioritize the church. Jesus loves the church. He died for the church. In this life or the next, you will one day regret any lackadaisical attitude you had toward the Lord’s church.
- Speaking the truth “in love” should never be an excuse to negate or diminish the truth. Yes, love should be our motivation, but folks need to hear the truth.
- At the heart of living out the Christian life is impacting the lives of people. We serve God by serving people. If you are not involved in the lives of people, you are missing it.
- Be hospitable. Have people over to your home. All types of people. Get to know them and let them get to know you. It will help keep you grounded.
- Don’t dress to impress. Dress for the occasion. Wear comfortable clothes. Dress respectfully and modestly. God is more concerned with the heart.
- Always keep a “to-do list.” It will help you stay on task and be more productive. There is a certain satisfaction that comes when you’ve accomplished something and can cross it off your list.
- Get a good night’s sleep, but don’t be a sloth. Too much of a good thing is not a good thing. But everyone needs an appropriate amount of rest.
- Practice what you preach. It’s one thing to say the right thing, it’s quite another to do the right thing. Our actions must prove out our words.
- Give your loved ones a big hug and a kiss. Physical touch is powerful and reassuring. It’s an extra special effort that’ll mean the world to them.
- Don’t cave to the world’s unbiblical nonsense. Stay the course. It’s reassuring to remember that every knee will one day bow to Jesus and acknowledge Him as Lord.
- Tell people about Jesus and the salvation from sin that only He provides. The world needs Jesus. He is “The Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to Father except through Him.”
The older I get the more reflective that I get. We have made life so much more difficult than it was ever intended to be. It’s really pretty simple. As Solomon so profoundly used his words to say, “The conclusion, when everything has been heard, is this: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13)