[Darris McNeely] I have to do a lot of reading for my job: emails, reports, input, magazine articles, books. You do, too, I'm sure for your work or just for your own particular interest. 

One of the things that I find that I'm increasingly coming to as I skim through an article or report or letter, to get to the point.

And I thought about this as I was looking at what Jesus said in Matthew 5:37. He's talking on this Sermon on the Mount and He made a very strong and a very to the point statement as Christ always did. He said, "Let your yes be yes, and your no, no. For whatever is more than these is from the evil one." Your yes and your no, two simple words, to the point.

I was reading also in this morning's paper about a world famous journalist who's been caught plagiarizing, lifting other people's material without attribution to them. And he's apologized. And he's admitting that he made the mistake. But I got to thinking about that in relation to what Christ said here about your yes, yes and your no, no and the words that we write. Sometimes even in our desire to make a point, inadvertently or intentionally, we may lift someone else's material and not give them the proper credit and add to what is said and get ourselves in trouble.

And so, here's the point, learn to simplify. Learn to get to the point in our speech and in what we write and keep it simple. Keep it clear. As Jesus said, your yes, yes, your no, no.

Sometimes when we say more, write more, or even think more, we might give ourselves opportunity for, as He says, the evil one, Satan, to come in and cloud the thoughts, cloud the intent.

Keep it simple. Keep it short. Keep it to the point - less problems, less difficulties. 

That's BT Daily. Join us next time.