What Difference Does it Make?

Photo: Suliman Sallehi, pexels.com

Let the Word of Christ..."richly inhabit your lives." (Colossians 3:16, The Voice)

While going about what was an otherwise normal day at work not long ago, writing business-related articles about people and processes and achievements, there was an earthquake.

Over a word choice.

What I thought was a harmless and actually very appropriate word to describe someone’s positive contribution to a situation wound up offending that person and a colleague.

Their email made me go “whaaaat?” A change in word choice was expected.

And because it’s what humans tend to do when they go on the defensive,

I was ready for an all-too-familiar reflex:

To dig in, to defend myself, to be offended by their offense.

Which never goes anywhere good.

To my surprise, I didn’t go there

This time.

“What is this strange feeling I’m feeling?”

And I realized that the word that came to mind to describe this person’s admirable quality was a word prominently found in the Gospels.

All from that reading, both because “you need to” and because you want to,

But sometimes, wondering “what difference does it make, practically?”

Until I also realized that the word that rolled out of my brain and into type that day was a natural reflex,

A "richly inhabit"

An overflow of that which was now living within me from “all that reading” and through the mysterious power of the Spirit...

“For the Word of God is alive and powerful…”

—Hebrews 4:12, NLT

...And on this day, that same Word didn’t get hung up on words.

Instead, it took the temptation to be defensive and turned it on its head:

Humility. Grace.

(What the world needs now.)

“No offense intended, I’ll make the change.”

Which was met by grace—and, as a result, peace—in return.

It is always a good thing to pray, as you head out the door, things like:

“Lord, help me to carry Your light into work today”

But while we may be thinking some really big things

Often, it is the little things God uses to answer that prayer that carry the biggest light—for others, and especially for your own encouragement on this Journey.

It’s not always pleasant or full of acceptance,

But this Word, these Words, make a difference.

And these Words of life that will come out of your pores from all that reading

Matter.

And will change you, bit by bit.

This Life is not stuck in a Book.

This Life is practical and for real, and fully meant to be lived…

Way beyond Sunday.

Selah

“Sometimes, we are called to experience rejection for the Son of God living in us. When we carry the cross of Christ, the world and even our families sometimes look at us as though we have a few marbles out of place. A miracle [salvation] often has a cost. But it is the seed for something imperishable. It is the seed of Eternity in our hearts.”—Os Hillman