What is going on with me these days?

I used to have a great deal of patience and understanding when people used trite sayings and phrases to express an idea. Now I have none. Absolutely none. I’m tired of the lack of authenticity I see. My experience with God is so opposite from it. My experiences with my closest friends are so opposite. So when I experience it from other believers who say they are following hard after Christ, I… I just can’t deal with it. It’s like having a pebble in my shoe. I want to confront it and get rid of it.

I just wish people would be real.

I passed so many churches this weekend with some variation “Have an Attitude of Gratitude” on their signs. Do people really believe that such a trite saying written on some sign is really going to transform someone’s heart? That someone’s going to see that sign and have a sudden epiphany, “omigosh! I forgot to put on my gratitude today.” Paleeze.

I saw a book for sale at LifeWay today called, “It’s Not About Me.” I just rolled my eyes and thought, ‘here we go again.’

Tonight, while I was on my cell phone with one of my best friends, another friend left me a message on my voicemail reiterating some trite things they’d previously said. I know my friend means well, but… dang, so many times he sounds so fake. Its those trite sayings, those Scripture passages used in place of real feelings and thoughts, those Christian phrases people say as a means to avoid having to dig into their own spirit and soul for words and truth.

And it all comes so naturally. We don’t have to think about it. Trite sayings have crept into every aspect of our lives. Think back over the last day. When someone asked you how you were, did you answer truthfully, or did you give the standard and expected “fine”? When was the last time you actually meant “bless you” when you responded to someone’s sneeze?

Every day is filled with dozens upon dozens of banal, overused, unmeant, rote phrases we volley to each other over and over. Christians are especially notorious for this. With all our Praise-the-Lord!-I’m-just-a-sinner-saved-by-grace-God-is-good-life-with-Jesus-is-sweet-I’m-just-a-vessel saccharine crap, it’s no wonder the world finds Jesus distasteful. Who wants to join a revolution full of fakers? Or worse, one full of perfect people? Who could keep up with that? I couldn’t.

I used to be able to tolerate all this stuff. I felt people meant well for the most part, and was willing to overlook the fact that their words sounded insincere because, “their heart was still in the right place.” Besides, they probably didn’t realize how their words came across.

I still believe that to be true. But my tolerance level has shrunk to zero. I don’t know why, exactly.

Perhaps that’s what depression does to you. The rose-colored glasses get yanked off and ground under foot. Once that happens you see the world in a less-flattering light. Perhaps a more realistic light. People are taken at face, and word, value.

What we say, and how we say it, reflects who we are. Whether true — and truly meant — or not, words have a powerful impact on others, both on their own outlook and on their opinion of the speaker. For better or worse, our words leave a mark on every listener.

God help me! Keep me silent unless You need me to speak. And help me find my patience, which I seem to have mislaid… or give me the courage to speak boldly and gently. Let the marks my words leave be ones of healing, hope and love!