You can lie to everyone with slick words, with well churned out phrases, with even something that sounds well meaning.

You can lie to yourself even. Pushing the matter to the back of your mind with a rationalization that you know isn't true at all. But you think that it is enough to satisfy that nagging lie, just so that you can escape and not think about it anymore.
Well, that's until the next time round when your conscience decides to play guilt trip.

But i tell you, you can never lie to God. You cannot hide from Him. He is light and darkness has no place in the light. If you live in darkness, then... well, no prizes for guessing where you stand.

He knew you ever since you were being formed cell by cell, and He knows you better than you know yourself.

*** ***

"She had been hurt by both Christians and non Christians...

And then you just don't have anything left to say when she tells you that, because you can't apologize for what other Christians have done."

This was something a church mate said that struck a chord in me.

Everyone makes mistakes. Christians and non-Christians alike.

To the public eye, Christians are suppose to be "like Christ" in character. Therefore when we make mistakes, the label of "Christian" becomes tarnished and sometimes to the point that it obscures the person him/herself, as the mistake maker.
And people therefore think that we're (Christians) hypocrites, because we have failed to be gentle and kind and loving, etc.

There's little that we can do to change the mindset of the myriads of people who see us this way, so if you cannot beat it, then work by/with it.

It is not my desire to see people turned off because of what we do and say. We need to be careful and yes, follow the example that Christ has been to us.

We need to honestly look at ourselves and be objective about our strengths and flaws. Since we can be our own worst critic sometimes, why not make good use of it now.

What have people around us said to us about ourselves? Their honest feedback that you thought was utter rubbish or unfounded.
Have you noticed a repeating problem trend in your communications with others?
Do you notice how some people react to the things you say or do?

True, at times, people do diss us off with their honestly unreasonable or insensitive responses.

But sometimes, it's not about the other person. We sometimes think: It's their fault, and not mine.
But really, sometimes, the problem lies with ourselves. And we need to admit that.

Please.
Let our words and actions be edifying and kind.
Let our words and actions build each other up, and let them NOT be tools that tear us down to cause rifts, discord and resentment.

Please.
We're the ones going forth to others to share Christ's love. Let us be honest and strive towards changing the areas of ourselves that cause hurt to others. What good would it do if we continue in our own abhorrent ways and portray these ways to the very people we want to reach out to?

It is entirely counter-productive. Agreed?