A few nights ago, my daughter brought something up to me that concerned her. She had been watching a video online regarding some prominent pastors. The person who posted it took issue with the way some of these men were speaking. Apparently, some had chosen to be rather loose with their language and, potentially for shock value, had chosen to interject some profanity into their messages.
My daughter was troubled by this and wanted to hear my opinion. I told her that I don't like when people choose to do that because I think it creates a needless stumbling block. I also don't think it's a mature decision for someone who is supposed to be serving as an ambassador of Christ to speak in a way that doesn't represent the way Christ would speak.
One of the most powerful things about a person are the words they communicate and the way in which they communicate them. You may not be someone of great physical stature, but don't let yourself be convinced that there isn't great power and influence behind your words. The things that you communicate will impact people in dramatic ways.
As followers of Christ, we're called to be very intentional about how we use our words. It's through the things we say that people will hear the message of the gospel. Our conversations, the instruction we give, and the manner in which we pray should all be empowered by the Holy Spirit and aimed to reflect the heart of Christ.
Is this something that matters to you? Can Jesus be seen in what you say? Are you communicating the heart of the gospel when you interact with others? In Proverbs 15:1-8, we're shown several important ways that we as believers in Christ can use our words to honor Him.
I. Honor Christ in your conversations
A soft answer turns away wrath,
but a harsh word stirs up anger.
2 The tongue of the wise commends knowledge,
but the mouths of fools pour out folly.
3 The eyes of the Lord are in every place,
keeping watch on the evil and the good.
4 A gentle tongue is a tree of life,
but perverseness in it breaks the spirit. (Proverbs 15:1-4)
When I was a new Christian, the book of Proverbs was one of the books of the Bible that I read most. I was fascinated with its content. I wanted to gain as much wisdom as I could from the sayings that were presented in the book. Many of those wise sayings stuck in my mind and never left, including the opening verses of Proverbs 15.
In this passage, we're admonished to be mindful of how we speak. We're told that if we answer others in a soft manner, we will turn away wrath instead of inviting it. We're told that knowledge comes forth from the tongue of the wise and that the eyes of the Lord are upon us as we speak and interact with one another. This is all helpful to know, and it's particularly interesting when these words get tested in your life soon after you first learn them.
When I was a new driver, I took my car to visit my grandmother. She lived in the city of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania where street parking was sometimes hard to get. When I arrived at her house, I noticed that a spot was open across the street from her home so I parked there, but when I left, it became apparent that her neighbor wasn't very happy about my choice of parking spots.
As I opened my car door and sat down, I noticed something on my front window. It was the top of a pizza box, tucked under my windshield wiper, and it had writing on it. As I got back out of the car to read what was on it, a man came out of a house and started yelling at me. He screamed at me for parking in front of his home (even though he had a driveway and didn't need the space).
As he yelled at me, the Holy Spirit brought to mind Proverbs 15:1, "A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." So, when he finished screaming, I simply said, "I'm sorry. I'll be happy to move my car." I think my response surprised him because he immediately stopped yelling, hung his head low like he was ashamed of himself, and took the box top out of my hand so I couldn't read what it said. Then he quietly walked back into his house. As I drove away, I couldn't help but smile and I'm pretty sure I said out loud, "Wow, that really works!"
I'm glad the Lord allowed me to have that experience because it taught me something that has served me well all throughout my adult life. We can choose to represent the evil one in our conversations with each other, or we can honor Christ with our conversations. We can let our old fleshly nature stir up division between us an others, or we can respond to one another with grace and a demonstration of the fruit of the Spirit. From personal experience, I can testify to the fact that it's always better to honor Christ in our conversations than it is to speak like the unbelieving world chooses to speak.
II. Glorify Christ when you give instruction
5 A fool despises his father's instruction,
but whoever heeds reproof is prudent.
6 In the house of the righteous there is much treasure,
but trouble befalls the income of the wicked. (Proverbs 15:5-6)
Scripture tells us that people were fascinated by the teaching and instruction of Solomon. It's clear that the Holy Spirit blessed him with great wisdom, and Solomon seemed to have the desire to pass that wisdom along to others. We're told that in some contexts, people would come great distances to hear him teach.
"Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to test him with hard questions." (1 Kings 10:1)
If you're ever placed in a position of Christian leadership, and you're given the opportunity to instruct others, you'll very likely develop a burden for the people you're teaching. You'll desperately want them to take the teaching you're passing along to heart. You'll want to see them apply it to their lives. I feel this burden every time I preach, teach, or write. If you love those you're instructing, you can't help but feel this way. I suspect Solomon loved those he was instructing as well.
As a parent, you feel this burden too, but you're also aware of the fact that there's no guarantee that your children are going to accept what you've been teaching them. Solomon makes that clear when he tells us that, "A fool despises his father's instruction, but whoever heeds reproof is prudent." (Proverbs 15:5).
Jesus felt this burden more than anyone. When He came to this earth to instruct, rescue, redeem, and restore lost humanity, He wanted us to value His instruction. And as we learned to value it, He wanted us to convey it to others. Jesus wants us to glorify Him in the instruction we give, but He also knows what it's like to be ignored. In fact, there were many during the generation in which He visited this earth who completely dismissed His teaching.
"The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here." (Matthew 12:42)
The people who instruct us have a demonstrable influence on our lives. If you're ever placed in a position to instruct others, glorify Christ in your instruction and point the hearts of those who listen to your words to Him.
III. Worship Christ in your supplication
7 The lips of the wise spread knowledge;
not so the hearts of fools.
8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,
but the prayer of the upright is acceptable to him. (Proverbs 15:7-8)
Do you believe in the power of prayer? How convinced are you that the Lord will answer your supplication when you bring it before Him? Solomon taught that, "the prayer of the upright is acceptable to him." Are you convinced that this is true? Do you worship Jesus by lifting up your heart to Him in prayer?
While Josh McDowell was attending seminary in California, his father went home to be with the Lord. His mother had died years earlier, but Josh was not sure of her salvation. He became depressed, thinking that she might be lost. Was she a Christian or not? The thought obsessed him. “Lord,” he prayed, “somehow give me the answer so I can get back to normal. I’ve just got to know.” It seemed like an impossible request.
Two days later, Josh drove out to the ocean. He walked to the end of a pier to be alone. There sat an old woman in a lawnchair, fishing. “Where’s your home originally?” she asked.
“Michigan—Union City,” Josh replied. “Nobody’s heard of it. I tell people it’s a suburb of —”
“Battle Creek,” interrupted the woman. “I had a cousin from there. Did you know the McDowell family?”
Stunned, Josh responded, “Yes, I’m Josh McDowell!”
“I can’t believe it,” said the woman. “I’m a cousin to your mother.”
“Do you remember anything at all about my mother’s spiritual life?” asked Josh.
“Why sure—your mom and I were just girls—teenagers—when a tent revival came to town. It was the fourth night—we both went forward to accept Christ.”
“Praise God!” shouted Josh, startling the surrounding fishermen. -Our Daily Bread, September 18
Lately, the Lord has been reminding me that one of the most powerful things I can do is pray. Admittedly, one of my personality defects is my tendency to not want to burden others with my problems. As much as possible, I try to handle the problems I have in my own strength, but I'm thankful that the Lord seems to be bringing me to a spot where I'm finally convinced that my strength is not sufficient for everything that I'm facing.
When I come to the end of myself, and finally admit that I'm not truly capable of handling my burdens on my own, the Lord reminds me to come to Him. He relieves my stress through prayer. When I'm worried about our culture, the state of the church, or my children, I'm also reminded to pray. When I can't fully verbalize what's troubling me, He reminds me that all I have to do is say, "Help!" and He's ready to hear me and act upon my requests.
So many people are convinced that they need to do something to impress God in order for Him to listen to them. People think they need to do great deeds or make amazing sacrifices for Him to respond to their requests. But Solomon shows us something different. He tells us that the Lord hears the prayers of the upright. Well, how does one become upright? We become upright through the righteousness of Christ which is given to all who genuinely trust in Him. There is no other way. And as we approach the throne of the Father, covered in the righteousness of Christ, our prayers are heard and our supplications are granted in accordance with His will.
Does your life and do your words communicate the heart of the gospel? Do the things that proceed from your mouth honor the one who created your lips? Jesus wants to be seen in your life. He wants to give others a glimpse of Himself through your conversations, instruction, and times of prayer. Will you submit your life over to Him so that this transformative process can begin?
© John Stange, 2020
