How important is credibility? We live in cynical times, who is trustworthy?
Can I trust cable television personalities? Can I trust the search results Google or Wikipedia spit back at me? Can I trust what pops up on my social media feed, or what my friends share? Can I trust the headlines or the editorial page of my newspaper? Can I trust the words (tweets) of politicians? How about celebrities? Can I trust what I’m taught in school—in history class, in science class, in psychology? Can I trust my government? Can I trust businesses and corporations, banks and health providers, to look out for me?
Credibility seems to be eroding everywhere. But the credibility that impacts us the most gravely is our own. To what extent do you, or I, lack credibility? To what extent do we, as the bride of Christ (the Church) lack credibility? And does it matter?
In his book Winsome Persuasion, author Tim Muehlhoff writes about personal credibility. Our “initial” credibility is based on things like our reputation, our resume, our professional or educational credentials. Our “derived” credibility is based on how people judge us as we speak and act, as they get to know us. Our credibility is also “communal” We are colored by the organizations, or social groups, or families, to which we belong.
Think of it this way. If I lack credibility I can put a ding in my family name, “i.e. Morrissette.” I can put a ding in my gender, “i.e. That must be how men are…” I can put a ding on my generation, “i.e. stupid GenXers…” I can put a ding on my profession, “i.e. pastors...”, on my church “i.e. Lakeside,” or my religious affiliation, “i.e. Protestants… Evangelicals…” We can put a ding on our nationality, “i.e. Americans…” or humanity, “i.e. All people must be like that…”
When it comes to credibility we can rise together or fall together right? The thing I lose the most sleep over, however, is what about the bride of Christ's credibility? I want nothing more to be a called a son, a true child of God! As a result of seeing my manner of life, I want people to glorify our Father in Heaven! But the truth is sometimes I miss the mark, and sometimes you miss the mark, and when we do boy is it ugly.
In Matthew 5:33-37, Jesus addresses one of THE MOST GAPING HOLES in our credibility. It’s the gap between our tongue, our mouth, our words and reality (Our Words <> Reality).
“Again, you have heard that it was said to our ancestors, You must not break your oath, but you must keep your oaths to the Lord. But I tell you, don’t take an oath at all: either by heaven, because it is God’s throne; or by the earth, because it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great King. Do not swear by your head, because you cannot make a single hair white or black. But let your ‘yes’ mean ‘yes,’ and your ‘no’ mean ‘no.’ Anything more than this is from the evil one.”
We could definitely get into a technical discussion of what is happening here. Instead of being honest, people in Jesus’ day would make grand oaths to bolster their credibility. They’d swear by heaven or earth, or by Jerusalem, or even their own head. The core issue is they became more consumed with the style/technicalities of what they were saying than the substance/integrity of what they were saying. And because they lacked credibility they weren’t just putting a ding in their own name, they were putting a ding in the very name of God. Why? Because God isn’t just a God of ALL things… i.e. heaven is his throne, earth is his footstool, Jerusalem is his city, God is sovereign over ever single hair on your head… [insert bald joke here (not!)]… Before anything else God is first and foremost a God of ALL TRUTH! How can we as God’s people not be concerned whether our words are congruent with reality?
Let me make a few general statements about words.
First, Words Reflect Our True Character/Heart.
In Matthew 12:33-35 Jesus begins, “… the mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart. 35 A good person produces good things from his storeroom of good, and an evil person produces evil things from his storeroom of evil. Elsewhere in the Sermon on the Mount our words reflect our heart towards other people (see Matthew 5:22). Our words reflect whether we truly trust God with our daily needs. Do we trust God when we pray or do we go on babbling like pagans? (see Matthew 6:31, “So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’”)
Second, God Judges Every Word We Speak.
In Matthew 12:36-37 Jesus continues, “36 I tell you that on the day of judgment people will have to account for every careless word they speak. 37 For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” Even James echoes this point in James 5:12, “Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your “yes” mean “yes,” and your “no” mean “no,” so that you won’t fall under judgment.”
Third, Our Words Create Our Reality.
At the very minimum our words "affect" reality. But I believe its more than that. In Proverbs 18:20-21, it says, “From the fruit of a person’s mouth his stomach is satisfied; he is filled with the product of his lips. 21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” We really do reap the fruit of what we say. If we speak evil over ourselves and others, we reap evil. If we speak lifegiving words over ourselves and others, we reap deep satisfaction. You are a self-fulfilling prophet, reaping the self-fulfilling prophecies, that have fallen from your lips. Words create reality for you and others. Be very careful what you speak over your life, your marriage, your kids, even your enemies.
Fourth, Our Words Are to Glorify God!
Always remember, the book of James is practically an exposition of Jesus’ sermon on the mount. James says, in James 1:26 says, “If anyone thinks he is religious without controlling his tongue, his religion is useless and he deceives himself.”
James 3:2 says, “For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is mature, able also to control the whole body.”
James 3:3-12 says, “Now if we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we direct their whole bodies. 4 And consider ships: Though very large and driven by fierce winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5 So too, though the tongue is a small part of the body, it boasts great things. Consider how a small fire sets ablaze a large forest. 6 And the tongue is a fire. The tongue, a world of unrighteousness, is placed among our members. It stains the whole body, sets the course of life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. 7 Every kind of animal, bird, reptile, and fish is tamed and has been tamed by humankind, 8 but no one can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With the tongue we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in God’s likeness. 10 Blessing and cursing come out of the same mouth. My brothers and sisters, these things should not be this way. 11 Does a spring pour out sweet and bitter water from the same opening? 12 Can a fig tree produce olives, my brothers and sisters, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a saltwater spring yield fresh water.”
And so do you understand what is at stake here? When our tongue is filled with blessing then cursing, sweetness then bitterness, fresh water than salt water… how can people trust much of anything that comes out of mouth? If people cannot trust us to get temporal matters right, why should they trust what we have to say on eternal matters? If we cannot speak truthfully about the things of man, how can people trust us to speak truthfully about the things of God?
In Jesus’ day, religious people lacked credibility. Why? Because their words were incongruent with reality. Instead of speaking plainly and honestly and simply, they would toss out a word salad, filled with nuances, and qualifications, and legalese, and technicalities, and all sorts of spiritual-speak. No, Jesus wanted them to speak truthfully and simply. “Is that a yes, or is that no?”
We live in a day when even Christians are less concerned with honesty. For example. . .
- Many Christians are overly “Partial.” When it comes to people we like, one set of truths apply. When it comes to people we dislike, another set of truths apply. We fight for people we love and we fight against people we dislike. We’re more loyal to relationships than we are to the truth. If given the choice between truth and love, we’ll throw away truth in a heartbeat.
- Many Christians are overly “Partisan.” What do I mean? Proverbs 18:2, “A fool does not delight in understanding, but only wants to show off his opinions.” We’re more interested in “being heard” and “being loud” these day than truly understanding what is holy, righteous, good, and true. Nobody trusts a partisan.
- Many Christians are "Unfaithful." Jesus earlier talked about the escalation from lust to adultery to divorce. Christians make wedding vows but are just as apt to break, or abandon these vows as anyone else. Our vows before men, before God ought to be a serious matter (See Malachi).
- Many Christians are "Boastful." James says a lot about not boasting in tomorrow. Why? Because we don’t have a crystal ball. How do we know what tomorrow will bring? If you can’t be sure your words “today” will match up with “tomorrow’s” reality, why sacrifice your credibility?
- Many Christians "Exaggerate." As a preacher, we call this “being rhetorical.” For affect, its so easy for us to stretch the truth for audience affect. When I listen to the stories told by preachers, too often I find myself feeling skeptical. Did it really happen like that? Did that person really do that? Say that? Many Sunday mornings Lara scours my sermons and even googles stuff. She says, “Jon it was 3 years ago, not several years ago.” “The [person/place/thing] is this, not [this].” I want to sic her on the weatherman, “It’s going to be ½ inch not a foot of snow.”
- Many Christians are "Gossipy." To feel important, what do we do? We exaggerate falsehoods, or circulate falsehoods about other people.
- Many Christians are "Judgmental." Instead of truly understanding something, we force our conclusions, and speak words of condemnation instead of words of grace.
- Many Christians are "Flakey." Instead of saying yes or no, we make vague commitments, giving the impression we’ll show up, or serve, or pray when we have absolutely no intention!
- Many Christians are "Peace-Fakers." Instead of confronting conflict, addressing a wrong, seeking reconciliation, asking for forgiveness, extending forgiveness… we put on a fake smile, and keep bringing our gifts before the altar making no effort whatsoever to live a gospel-centered life.
- Many Christians are "Obtuse." In order to conceal our sinful motives, we feign ignorance about the truth, about God’s will, about our personal responsibility.
- Many Christians are "Impulsive." Instead of investigating a matter, we make lazy conclusions. We shoot from the hip. We’re satisfied being “truthy” but don’t do the work necessary to be “truth-FULL.”
But How Many Christians are HONEST??????
Some practical suggestions for this week...
(1) Make words count this week, write encouragement note!
(2) Before speak ask, “Is it necessary? Is it true? Is it kind? Does it glorify Christ?”
(3) Read James, and/or Proverbs