Know What I Mean?

Isn't it getting to be pretty outside? I'm so glad that spring and warm weather are right on our doorstep. There seems to be an undercurrent of excitement all around. There's a good scent in the air (even if it makes you sneeze) and the flowers are beginning to bloom again. All of this makes me certain that our government is out to get us and spoil anything good for us. . . Why else would they stick "tax day" right in the middle of all this spring-time splendor!? That's right, it will be here soon, so get ready! H&R Block would love me right now. . .

What if I decided to cheat on my taxes this year? What if I had absolute certainty that it would never be found out? It's an unrealistic, hypothetical question, but humor me. What if? This isn't a blog about whether I should or not. Just sit and think for a moment about all the implications of that act. It is a lie that no one else would ever know about. The question I want you to ponder is not "is it worth it?" Instead tell me what I am saying by cheating on my taxes? Am I saying anything? Let's then imagine that you find out, but you are the only person on earth who will ever know.

I blogged recently about communication. You can find that here
. With some presuppositions from that blog I'd like to explore this question a little. You come to me and ask why. First, in the idea stage I might say to myself, "I needed this money. No one else would know. I am not hurting anyone else. The government will never miss the paltry amount that a waiter pays anyway." Then, I would likely repeat my thoughts word for word. I might even have a very compelling reason. Perhaps I would tell you I had a child who needed an expensive medical procedure.

You would receive that communication. Although, you heard the exact words that I spoke, you would interpret my words through your own filter. In a split second you would imagine what it's like to be me. You would piece together fragments to create back stories and conversations between me and others that lead me to this decision. Maybe you would have sympathy or maybe not. Maybe you would agree with my decision or maybe not. I think that you would interpret all of my reasons to mean, "I didn't want to pay taxes, and I thought I could get away with it." Even if you interpreted it differently, my point is that you would categorize my communication under your own heading, and not within the framework that my words provided.

Most of our comprehension of communication stops here. In fact, I think we are each struggling mightily (if struggling at all) to push beyond this point in our understanding of meaning within word and deed. But I submit to you that there is another facet to this farcical situation. First there was the conception, the idea, my reasoning and thought process. Then there was the realization, the words and actions, the actual cheating and verbalized reason. Then there was the reception or perception of what the realization actually meant. However, all of this is meaningless and we are completely lost if we do not have some sort of actual concrete standard as to what it means to say or do anything.

As believers in Jesus Christ, we are called to a certain standard of communication. We are called to recognize that when we act and speak outside of His will as revealed in the Bible, we are in fact communicating something far greater than we may ever have previously realized. Cheating on my taxes communicates that I do not respect the government or authority; it communicates to others (even if they never hear me say it) that I believe I am held to a different standard; it communicates to God that I do not trust Him to provide for my needs as He has promised in Scripture. My sin causes me to scream at the top of my lungs (even when I look around to make sure no one sees) that I am not on God's team. Sin communicates a sort of pride that declares me as God over my life. Sin communicates that I live life on my terms and God must accept me for the good person I am. This sort of communication is much clearer than the usual sort of babble that spills from our mouths.

As I said, I think we are all struggling with this reality, eventhough it may never have been put in these exact terms. The actuality of our communication will match the ideas of our hearts and minds, and the words and deeds of our lives when we are perfected by Christ in the end. And take heart, believer, He promised that this will happen! As we struggle to work out our salvation together and learn to love our Savior all the more, let us pay special attention to what our words and lives are REALLY saying to our Lord and to the watching world. It is only because He has given us His Word and His Idea, that our words and ideas can find meaning in their (our) alignment with His character. Struggle on, church!