Have you ever come face to face with a truth about yourself that wasn’t pretty? Moments like these are never particularly enjoyable, but many times they can be very valuable times.

Yesterday, while shopping at a local store, I had the opportunity to visit with a couple of friends. We were busy sharing laughs and a few stories, when one of my friends asked the simple question, “How is everything going?”

Caught up in the flow of conversation, I responded quickly by affirming things were good and sharing a few short anecdotes about how busy things were as I approached Thanksgiving and the beginning of Advent. I went on to talk about the paperwork I was facing and the all-day meeting that was upcoming. My friend smiled, told me how sorry he was about the fullness of my schedule and offered to keep me in prayer.

It was not until several hours later that I paused long enough for God to get my attention. Ever so gently I was reminded that my friend, and those who were around us, were also living lives with full schedules. I was so caught up in the challenges of my schedule that I never thought to consider the impact of my words on those around me.

I’ve preached, spoken and written about positive attitudes and the importance of not sharing a critical or complaining spirit, and here I was faced to see that I was doing the very thing I did not want to do. I was stunned at how easily I took a normal challenge of life and made it a challenge I then passed on to others when I could have used that same time to speak words of grace that would build them up.

God lovingly reminded me that my calling was not to bemoan my challenges, but to equip and encourage others on their way. The Bible tells us that we will, “give an accounting of every idle word,” and while I do not see that text as evoking guilt and fear, it is a sobering reality that I am responsible for the seeds I sow in the lives of others.

I do not know where you are in your own journey, but I do pray that together, we can learn from what God is teaching me, that we can take greater responsibility for what we say, how we say it, and the impact we make for God in everything we do.

Life is busy, but God is great and good. Let us encourage one another even now.