Weighing Words
Because I couldn't prepare! I could, and did, research the debate topic thoroughly. I met with a friend who was in a debate club at his school and we tracked down every possible scenario that could happen in this debate, and I prepared answers. But there was still no way to know with certainty which course the debate would take, so I was required to think on my feet.
Ugh. Spoken words, thinking on my feet, has never been my strong suit. I totally identify with Moses when he told the Lord at one of the most pivotal moments of his life: "Oh Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past, nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue" (Exodus 4:10).
God wasn't having it. One thing about God, He sees right through our excuses. "Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say" (Exodus 4:11-12).
I think that we are at a point where the eyes of the world are on the church and on our response to the violence and events happening. We, the church, are the ones who proclaim a higher hope that transcends the pain and suffering in this world, so when pain and suffering have boiled up to the point where they have... the world naturally wants to know our response. We are under a microscope, and it's not necessarily a comfortable thing.
I feel like Moses, just a little bit. "I have never been eloquent, Lord." Sure, I can write things somewhat coherently, but put me in front of someone who demands, in real-time, answers for how I think the way I think... I'm guilty of saying, as Moses said, "Lord, send someone else."
Luke records Jesus' prophetic words in Luke 21:12: "But before all this, they will lay hands on you and persecute you. They will deliver you to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of My name."
Examination of our words in these coming days, weeks, months, years, is going to be essential, because the Lord is bringing an olive-press moment to His church. He is refining us as He prepares His bride to meet Him. 2 Timothy 2:20-21 says: "In a large house, there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes, and some for ignoble. If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work."
He is refining the ignoble purposes, as we cleanse ourselves from those things. And after the refining process, we will be useful to the Master, and prepared for any good work. Back to Luke 21:13-15:
"This will result in your being witnesses to them. But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict."
Thinking back to that awful debate assignment, how I wanted to know in advance the words that would have been what the opposing team could not resist or contradict. In the Great Debate, the one between heaven and hell, the one between God and the devil, the one where every cast member takes sides and there is no audience... we are not to worry beforehand what we will say, because God will equip us with words and wisdom that the enemy nor any of his followers cannot resist or contradict.
Be prepared, yes. "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have" (1 Peter 3:15). But trust God to give us the words to say when we need to say them. Let His Holy Spirit speak through us.
The words we say aren't always going to be pleasant. A friend of mine recently described himself as "a recovering people-pleaser." Same, same. I never want to say anything that's going to create waves. More and more, though, I've heard God calling me out of that comfort zone.
Ugh. Spoken words, thinking on my feet, has never been my strong suit. I totally identify with Moses when he told the Lord at one of the most pivotal moments of his life: "Oh Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past, nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue" (Exodus 4:10).
God wasn't having it. One thing about God, He sees right through our excuses. "Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say" (Exodus 4:11-12).
I feel like Moses, just a little bit. "I have never been eloquent, Lord." Sure, I can write things somewhat coherently, but put me in front of someone who demands, in real-time, answers for how I think the way I think... I'm guilty of saying, as Moses said, "Lord, send someone else."
Luke records Jesus' prophetic words in Luke 21:12: "But before all this, they will lay hands on you and persecute you. They will deliver you to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of My name."
Examination of our words in these coming days, weeks, months, years, is going to be essential, because the Lord is bringing an olive-press moment to His church. He is refining us as He prepares His bride to meet Him. 2 Timothy 2:20-21 says: "In a large house, there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes, and some for ignoble. If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work."
He is refining the ignoble purposes, as we cleanse ourselves from those things. And after the refining process, we will be useful to the Master, and prepared for any good work. Back to Luke 21:13-15:
"This will result in your being witnesses to them. But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict."
Be prepared, yes. "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have" (1 Peter 3:15). But trust God to give us the words to say when we need to say them. Let His Holy Spirit speak through us.
The words we say aren't always going to be pleasant. A friend of mine recently described himself as "a recovering people-pleaser." Same, same. I never want to say anything that's going to create waves. More and more, though, I've heard God calling me out of that comfort zone.
Y'all, sometimes God gives us a message, and we have to share it. If we are truly in step with the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit asks us to speak... how can we say no?
So I want to move past the people-pleaser me and enter the place that says: "Your will be done, God, no matter what." 2 Corinthians 2:15-16 says: "For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one, we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task?" Paul answers his own question in 2 Corinthians 3:5: "Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God."
There's a beautiful sonnet written by the poet Pablo Neruda. It's a love poem written for his romantic partner, but I think it's appropriate to speak of our love relationship with Christ. The absolute unity, the absolute putting away of self and putting on Christ can be encapsulated in this. It says:
"I love you without knowinghow, or when, or from where.I love you straightforwardly,without complexities or pride;so I love you because I knowno other way than this:where I does not exist, nor you,so close that your handon my chest is my hand,so close that your eyes closeas I fall asleep."-Pablo Neruda, Sonnet XVII
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