God exploded into my life – by invitation – many years ago. And I, who eventually get bored with every fascinating endeavor, am still totally enamored with Him! I am surprised that the shattering of my expectations, a seeming betrayal of my trust in fact, did not cause me to leave Him. Like Peter, I was in too deep. To whom would I go? No cause, relationship, hobby or pursuit fills my soul like He does. Even just today, staggering emotionally from what life – and my own foolishness – brings from time to time, I “happen” to be reading a verse that speaks directly to my heart! “How happy are those who know what sorrow means, for they will be given courage and comfort.” Immediately after I thank the Lord and write it down, I get the call, and then the text that bring comfort and courage respectively. That’s why I am still here. He has keeping power. He uses words. But I digress.
I have been recently called back to my roots, reminded of that thunderbolt that I could not keep to myself in those early days of learning to trust. It was from a recent reminder in John 17 that He came (from the highest place, btw) to bring His Father’s words and give them to us. Then He says, “As you sent me, I send them (with Your words).” I have always treasured His words to me. I shared them with friends, family, neighbors and strangers. But as life brought various responsibilities, I drifted from that calling – mostly because of lack of opportunity. Church life also tends to focus heavily on personal growth. It is a rare church that gets us out of the seats and into the streets. So it is easy to become complacent about the last words Jesus spoke to all of His followers -“Go and make disciples…”
Words are incendiary, incredibly powerful, transformative. The tongue can be used as a sword or a scalpel, to heal or to hurt. Jesus warns that we will give account for every single – even careless – word. The Wuest translation puts it: “Every word which has no legitimate work, which is inoperative and thereby morally useless and unprofitable…” Mt 12:36 When I think of all the drivel that rolls off of my tongue, all the meaningless conversation that keeps me distanced and safe from the other person, I am hoping there is a glitch in the celestial recorder that is keeping track. It is clear from Scriptures that books are being written – records kept. Actions are dripping with eternal import. Our speech is not meant to protect our egos, prevent criticism, attack dissenters, or make situations pleasant at the expense of truth.
Ok – it sounds like I think we have license to run roughshod with our concepts of truth, calling out darkness whereby we find it. On the contrary! It is not that easy. Not only are we to season our words and actions with grace, but we are to remember that we are the seasoning – salt that preserves, enhances, and consecrates our interactions. We are tasked to bring the grace and truth that Jesus brought to us into the lives of others. Hebrews 10:24 tells us to thoughtfully consider how to provoke one another to love and goodness – not to just provoke with the stick of truth. Considering requires work! Jesus, our example, looked around for life pictures to color the thought He was trying to convey. And even when He said hard things, like “We Jews worship what we know, you Samaritans don’t”, to the marginalized Samaritan woman, He embeds it in care for her as a person. He attracted not just her attention but her affection as well – but not at the expense of truth.
So many of us believers are so daunted by the fear of being offensive or abrasive that we just opt for good works and leave the word-bringing to the pastor, the evangelist, or the Holy Spirit. But think of how many people you interact with who will never step foot inside a church. And how many evangelists have you seen out and about lately? Or maybe the Holy Spirit wants to use you to convey His truth. You have worked to earn respect by your kindness, so now maybe it is time to share about your hope. I have heard it said that the eternal destiny of one may well depend on the words of another. Wisdom, discernment, and the Spirit’s leading are imperative, while recognizing that the fear of man is a powerful deterrent to truth-honoring interaction. “As You sent Me, I send them (that’s us)…with Your words.” Whose words do we bring?
As we think of how this whole Jesus movement got started, it was with the eye witness accounts of those who had been with Jesus. Their connection to Him was so transforming that they just had to tell others – despite the cost. Witness is the same word as martyr. I was like that – admittedly bull-in-a-china-closet style. Made lots of mistakes, but nevertheless friends and family came to see and love Jesus like I did. We gave out Bibles to everyone we knew. We were told that our fervor would wear off. Thankfully, it did not, but organic opportunity diminished. Now it takes effort and intention to share my faith, especially in the face of resistance from culture, my fear – and of course the enemy. Sharing the Gospel is spiritual warfare!
In the time I have left, I want to be a faithful witness to the love and goodness of a God Who is blamed for the evil that is caused by sin. A God Who is relegated to a Sunday ritual and forgotten the rest of the week. Who is the only hope for people broken by self rule or lulled to sleep by their overrated morality. “Who will go for us?’ asks God. I will. Please join me.
Shalom
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