Straight Answers

"A man finds joy in giving an apt reply--and how good is a timely word." Proverbs 15:23

A subject I have addressed at least once before is on my mind again. Straight answers. Is this a political year or what? Everybody seems to be getting more and more apt at giving convoluted and complicated, circular reasoning type answers. Or should I just say "crooked" answers since that is the opposite of straight?

Here are three symptoms of a larger problem:

1.Nobody seems to be able to take no for an answer.
2.Everybody is having a harder and harder time saying Yes or No.
3.By the time you finally get an answer you've forgotten what your original question was.

These issues seem to have something to do with:

1.Expectations
2.Commitment
3.Avoidance

No wonder it is so hard to get and give straight answers when we are so afraid to disappoint anybody. Also, when we are so reticent to make and keep promises, and when we seem to be willing to say anything in order to be able to do nothing. I don't think it is just me struggling with this. Whether talking to big corporations or individuals, there seems to be a lot beating around the bush about answers. The common answers I get are; that someone just agrees with me that there is indeed a problem, or they insincerely say they are sorry I am having an issue, or that they are going to pass me on and on to someone else, until I give up.

I love the commercial where some guy named 'Nancy' from Siberia talks in circles and puts some poor soul on perpetual hold, who needs an answer about his phone plan. But, it is not just telemarketers, or overseas call centers, or politicians that do this. It is pervasive. We all feed the "I don't know" culture and the "So sorry, I can't help you" syndrome. We all are more often just going through the motions of processes that have NO solutions and NO answers.

Sooooo... Back to the Proverb. Wouldn't it be joyful to give or receive an apt reply? How about a timely word? Have you ever spent hours on the phone and been unable to cancel something? Has it taken you days to get a straight answer out of someone? I mean without a "spin" or "exception clause" attached to it? This is not changing from the top down. This has to change at the grass roots level and percolate up. I am going give more apt replies and straight answers and in a timely fashion too. How about you? Maybe, kinda sorta, we'll see, possibly, if,……… whatever? LOL!!!"

God loves you and so do I,
Pastor Fred

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