Words Matter

I am a talker. They say men speak far less words a day than women, but I don’t fit into that statistic. I can keep conversations going for a very long time. This ability comes in handy as a pastor, dad and husband. As a pastor, I have to do a lot of talking for sermons, speeches, special occasions, and conversations. Being a parent of little ones requires lots and lots of talking, such as answering questions and explaining stuff. I take the necessary time to teach my kids principles that I want them to know and understand and guide them with encouraging words. As a husband, I know that great communication is one good sign of a healthy marriage and so I have learned over the years to be super intentional in this area. Sometimes my wife and I will talk for a long time after the kids go to bed. It is one of my favorite things (other than watching the Seahawks win, kidding). God gave his kids the ability to talk to one another and I’m grateful for this. As followers of Jesus, the words we speak and the motives behind them matter immensely

The other day when I read the passage below from 1 Corinthians, it got me thinking further about this.

"But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I will find out not the talk of these arrogant people but their power. For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk, but in power."

The church at Corinth had some serious issues. The people were divided, sinful and abusing the Lord's supper. They were also really arrogant talkers. Based on Paul's estimation, these Christ followers liked to talk in very boastful ways and were full of themselves. They were boasting about how great they were, rather than spurring one another towards Christ. It was getting bad, really bad. I think Paul's words are very helpful for us today because there are a lot of the same issues happening today. I think there's a better way.

Paul says that the kingdom of God is one of power. This is not human strength or physical beauty. This is about a transformation on the inside of a person. Take the image of an iceberg as a good metaphor. When you look at an iceberg most of the strength and power of that iceberg is found under the water. Not seen. Not noticed. I think this is a good picture of the power Paul is referencing. This power is a supernatural power that grows in time over years and seasons of knowing and serving Jesus Christ. You cannot manufacture this power, nor can you manipulate this power. It will be the fruit of time spent in prayer. Time in worship. Time in silence. It takes time in famine and time in feast. This power gives us the strength to say the right words in the right heart. It gives us the ability to let our words bring life and hope to people we encounter each day.

Paul also says this just a few chapters earlier:

"For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstrations of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God."

Since being human requires talking, I think the verse above applies perfectly to how our words and actions should go. To know Christ is to know the power of his suffering. To know Christ personally is seen in humility, love, hope, and joy. Our words then should follow this pattern in our interaction with all people.

Our words should come from a heart of humility and grace towards others. The Jesus followers of Corinth were prideful and arrogant. They ended up causing more harm than good. If we are not careful, we could be heading in that same direction today.

Our words should show off God's powerful love for all people. If we claim to know Jesus Christ, then our words should communicate the love Jesus has for every person on this planet; the rich and the poor, the saint and the sinner. Every person. Period. We cannot afford to get this wrong.

Our words should communicate wisdom from above and not below. The words God wants us to share should bring life and not death. They should be refreshing, joyful, encouraging and inspiring. Our words should be thoughtful and considerate.

Our words should carry a prayerful hope. This means that our words should come from time with Christ and we should guard against any flippant and harsh responses because we are angry. As Jesus followers, we know that our words are a demonstration of God's active spirit working in our lives. Therefore, we choose carefully what we say and how we say it. Remember, you can be right, but wrong in how you say it. As the psalmist wrote, "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer."

Today, let your words bring life and healing to those who need it!