One of the best gifts – words!

This weekend I enjoyed conversations! Friday evening I joined others at a table of good food and talk. Politics and our stories made for a lively mix at that dinner. Saturday, friends came to stay through the snowstorm in my house. There were talks about life, kids, faith, and yes; some precious memories, too. Sprinkled into these days, I made calls about getting snow removed from our parking lots, decisions about dealing with the storm. There were some silly exchanges with kids in the house.  Sunday ended with a long phone call with my daughter, heart deep and so sweet! What a gift God gave us when He gave us words.

So, how do you use your words? 

Paul teaches us that words without love are just noise, “resounding gongs and clanging cymbals.”  In another passage he writes about people whose conversation is meaningless, an overflow of insincerity, abused speech. "Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:  from which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling; desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm." (1 Timothy 1:6-7, KJV) There is a turn of phrase – “swerved .. turned aside to vain jangling!”  That is quite a description of the worse use of words, isn’t it?

Contrast that with the amazing beauty of healing truth, faithfully proclaimed, lovingly shared. Unable to get to church yesterday, I pulled up a faithful pastor on the Internet and listened to his message from the Word. As he unfolded portions of Hebrews 12, my heart rejoiced and my mind thanked God for the Living Word of Life. 

Jesus impresses us with the importance of filling ourselves with the best, the holy, the true so that the words that flow out of our inner person will be whole.  His observation is compelling. "A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak. The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you.” (Matthew 12:35-37, NLT)

A wise and godly person will use the gift of language to create understanding, to build relationships, to speak truth into confusion, to reveal vision, to sooth the broken, to unite the divided, to bring agreement that releases the power of God into the world. Jesus says it this way. “I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. “Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven." (Matthew 18:18-19, NIV)  When you think your words are unimportant, remember that passage.  Words matter.

Listen to what you are saying today. 

Are you just babbling, going on and on, in love with the sound of your own voice?

Are you speaking healing and encouraging words that help others live well?

Is the love of God showing through your conversation?

Here is a word from the Word. Note how God ‘speaks’ – in the glory of what His hands have made; then note the earnest prayer of David.   It is my prayer and hopefully, yours, too.

"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.

There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.

Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world." (Psalm 19:1-4, NIV)

"May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight,
O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer." (Psalm 19:14, NIV)

_______________

Let My Words Be Few

You are God in heaven

And here am I on earth,

So I'll let my words be few.

Jesus, I am so in love with You.

The simplest of all love songs

I want to bring to You,

So I'll let my words be few.

Jesus, I am so in love with You.

And I'll stand in awe of You.

Yes, I'll stand in awe of You,

And I'll let my words be few.

Jesus, I am so in love with You.

Beth Redman | Matt Redman

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