A Crappy Story

Read it all the way through before you think I'm using crude language or being judgmental.

A couple of weeks ago, a college-aged friend used the word "crap." I responded, "I don't use that word." As has happened before I got in return, "Yeah, right."

So, here's the story: When I graduated college, a buddy and I spent the summer working on a naval base in the Bahamas (great way to put some serious bucks in the bank). We roomed together in the baracks so we were around each other quite a bit. One day he pointed out that I said "crap" a lot. I denied. He rebutted and then commented that it was a strange word for someone going into ministry to be using; he encouraged me to think of what it stood for, what I used it in place of.

I agreed with him, but said I could stop and that it wasn't a habit. He laughed at the "not a habit" part, put a homemade bank on my desk and said, "Put a quarter in everytime you say it this week and then you can give the money to the base chapel on Sunday."

The first week, that little habit cost me $17.50 (let me do the math for you - that's 70 uses in one week)! By week four, I no longer had any "crap" in my vocabulary.

Now, I'm not being judgmental of those who use the word; in fact, I still have words/habits that are not very God-honoring. I simply am reminding myself (and you I suppose) that I need to continually be monitoring my words and actions if I truly want to be a reflection of Christ.

"Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did." I John 2:6

God please help me look like, act like, talk like, walk like Christ.