diluted.

This post is mostly about questions, not answers. 

Lately, I've been convicted about the things I say, and the way I say them. And I'm starting to wonder if what I say is diluting what I mean. 

I grew up in a part of the country where many people don't believe in absolute truth--that is, that what's right for me isn't necessarily right for you, or anyone else. It's a great place for skeptics, independent thinkers, and your everyday, run-of-the-mill weirdos. And it's quite the opposite (with a few exceptions) from where we live now. Here, you can assume that most people have been to church and know at least the general version of the gospel.

But whether I'm in a culture of skeptics or followers, I tend to dilute the truth. I don't know how to say what I really believe, so I talk. I don't know how to deal with a frustrating person who is also a child of God, so I talk. And it's as though my words have their own form of non-absolute truth. That what I say is only valid right now. That when I speak out of frustration, pain, or greed, it's really just a momentary expression, and nothing to be concerned about. But as those tensions grow, so do my words. And as those words quietly take flight, my character--and honestly, my belief that God is for all--is slowly chipped away.

Because if my words are only right for me, in this moment (which is just a cheap excuse to say them), the how can I trust that my faith can change those around me? And how can I be a witness when what I say gets in the way of what I mean?

We've been able to cut down on a lot of things this past year (clothes, driving, processed food, etc.). 

Next up on the list: diluted words.