We Must Use Words

Hebrew 4:12 "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart."

Jeremiah 23:29 "Is not my word like fire," declares the LORD, "and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?

That's powerful. So many people react very poorly to hearing scripture. It cuts right to the tender spots and offends what we have accepted as our version of truth, and we react strongly to that offense! 

In other regions they react with strong vocal opposition, even violence. In my area the cultural response is usually to ignore and keep silent on the issues that bring about this kind of discomfort. "Live and let live" . 

Getting our toes stepped on is never comfortable. And stepping on other's toes is not fun. But speaking the word of God and teaching others what we know it means should never be something a Christian avoids for the sake of comfort. 

1Peter 3:15 "But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect".

There are many scriptures that are difficult to swallow...and yet they are there. God's word is never beneath us. His words are never not worth our consideration. They are always worth our exploration! And we can all learn to do this with "gentleness and respect". We should all be willing to do this for the sake of others who may not know what we know. 

I have been tempted so many times to just shut my mouth and quit my ministry. I have succumbed to the fear of man more times than I care to admit. It is so easy to believe the lie that it isn't our place to be vocal about our faith, that we should keep our faith to ourselves and avoid offending others. But the truth of it is, the Word of God will ALWAYS be offensive to the mind of natural man. It exposes our weaknesses and failures. It reveals our true nature and our sin. 

I've been determined to keep quiet so many times in order to avoid haughty eyes and unfavorable reactions. But honestly I can not contain the Word of Truth that I know! And I'm not the only one to ever feel this way! 

Jeremiah 20:9 "But if I say, 'I will not mention him or speak any more in his name,' his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot."

The truth we know should not be a taboo subject. Your faith is not your own! It is THE FAITH. And it isn't only for you. So don't be stingy with the Word of God or the understanding of it. Be willing to be taught and be willing to teach. And be willing to do so in love and patience. Weigh your answers and speak with wisdom. And as we all know:

James 3:17 "But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere."

So rather than avoiding speaking the Truth, all of us need to learn to speak the Truth in love. Our words should be seasoned with grace, but in order to do this...we must have words.