"If YOU'RE a Christian, I don't want to be one..."

Ouch.
That was said to me soon after I first became a genuine Christian. And it hurt. It also caused me evaluate the actions in my life that triggered such a comment. I deserved it.
I made alot of promises I rarely kept and that had to stop.

Thankfully God does not

reveal the full extent of our
stench all at once.

Am I attentive or do I bury my head in the sand when God graciously reveals sin-issues that need attention... "sin-issues" can tend to be excruitiating, humiliating, painful... but always rightfully so. It should cause genuine repentance and remorse, brokenness and attention to the scriptures that reveal how to nip it in the bud.
I was obviously a liar. Because the root of unkept promises is just that. Lying.
So what does God's word reveal about lying and being a liar?
Well, when you are a liar, you make your speech worthless. Nobody trusts you.
As a liar I was giving an appearance to others of being a child of the devil... The father of lies and liars.
In I Timothy, liars are put in the same category as "immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers... and perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching." ....where liars are also considered hypocrits with a seared conscience.
In revelation it says "But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."
As a Christian I cannot lose my salvation... but such a statement, "If YOUR a Christian, I don't want to be one" should surely make me question it... and find out what to do about it.
So how does a liar stop being a liar according to the Word of God?
Is it just when I stop lying? or is it also when I set my mind on being a truth teller... a woman of my word. Trustworthy... for the glory of God.
I want to be a woman that hears and listens to God's Word. I want to be a woman that does not look away from the mirror... God's Word of truth. I want to look intently into this perfect law that gives freedom. I want my Yes to be Yes and my No, No.
Can I do this perfectly... no. But it is my daily goal... even when it hurts.
I look back at the time this was said to me... has there been progress? Yes, I see progress and I see room to grow.
My inspiration?
Hannah. She kept a very hard promise without wavering. She had an unbending faith in God. She was a fervent prayer warrior that radiates joy on the day she fulfills her promise to a God she feircely loved above anything else... this woman raised her sword in the battle for God's glory. Hannah "willingly offered up her most priceless treasure to shut the mouth of the one (Peninnah) who dared to mock her God."- a quote from Carolyn Custis James in the book, "Lost Women of the Bible." (A BOOK I HIGHLY RECOMMEND!)
I SERVE A FAITHFUL GOD! and there is much wisdom in trusting HIM alone, no matter what, with EVERY detail.
God used that hard place to open my eyes to a sin that needed immediate attention. I fell flat on my face in utter humiliation and despair that I would be such a person before such a faithful, holy God.
I Samuel 2:9 says God will "gaurd the feet of His saints."
I am honored that instead of turning away from that mirror, that the Lord, by His grace, caused me to gaze intently so that I can work daily at being a woman of my word for the glory of God.
To be trustworthy... To be faithful...
I have a long way to go in so many things... but by the grace of God alone, there is progress. To HIM be ALL the glory.

So what are some of the

Christ-centered habits

I have sought to form to replace

the bad habit of not being

a woman of my word?

(1.) My husband is very discerning. I seek his advice and approval for taking on anything, any ministry, etc. (...and when I fail to do this, YIKES!) Along with this I pray for wisdom... which God tends to provide not only in His revealed Word... but also out of the mouth of my husband. I am a slow learner... but I am learning NOT to talk my husband into things. It ALWAYS backfires.
(2.) I immediately WRITE THINGS DOWN on my calendar or on a peice of paper that I transfer ASAP to my calendar so that I can be faithful to keep that commitment.
(3.) I ALWAYS say "God-willing..." when I make plans. Because with 6 children (and 4 of them are ages 5 and under)... THINGS HAPPEN, kids get sick, etc... they vomit on you just as you have gotten dressed in your BEST dress right when you are about to walk out the door to go to a speaking engagement.
They fall and bust their little lip open and you can't say, "I'm sorry, I cannot comfort you right now... you might get blood all over my outfit" as once again, you are about to walk out the door to get to church early to prepare to teach a lesson on patience.