Speech is an important vehicle God has given us to be able to communicate with others and pray to God.
As I was thinking about my own conversation with family, friends and the many people I talk with daily via telephone, this Scripture verse came to my mind from the Apostle Paul in the Book of Colossians:
Colossians 4:6
Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.
NKJV
As God has given us grace in abundance in saving us from sin and sinning, we are commissioned to share that grace with others we meet. By reading the Bible and depending upon the Holy Spirit we can achieve this word of admonition. I must admit that my speech is not always with grace. In addition, it needs to be seasoned with salt to make it taste better and to preserve the message of grace. God is still working on me at the age of 88.
James a half brother of Jesus wrote this key to speech: James 1:19-20, " . . . let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; 20 for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God" (NKJV). Since we have two ears it is imperative that we take time to listen before responding. So, we move with speed to listen carefully. Then, before we engage our tongues in speech we need to slow it down by thinking through the process. And of course, if we are angry we need to cool off and wait until we have a clear head before speaking. Most of all, we must remember that the wrath of man will not produce the righteousness of God.
The writer of the Proverbs has this to say on this subject: "An offended brother is more unyielding than a fortified city,
and disputes are like the barred gates of a citadel" (Proverbs 18:19, NIV).
One of the ways we can refine our speech is to offer the hope God promises from the Word of God. Here is my favorite Scripture on hope:
Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
NIV
Let us believe that the God of hope will fill us with all joy and peace as we trust in Him. Regardless of our present circumstances, we can lift our voices in praise to God for the beauty of His Holiness (2 Chronicles 3:21).
I love to sing hymns and Gospel songs. One of my favorite hymns is "Great is Thy Faithfulness." The third stanza goes like this:
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!
That is good Biblical theology: pardon for sin and a peace that endures.
At this Christmas season may we renew our love for God in sending His Son in the form of a baby. There is no story in the whole world like the story of the incarnation of Jesus. I love how Eugene Peterson penned the words in the Gospel of John about the Word becoming flesh:
John 1:14
The Word became flesh and blood,
and moved into the neighborhood.
We saw the glory with our own eyes,
the one-of-a-kind glory,
like Father, like Son,
Generous inside and out,
true from start to finish.
(from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.)
Again, I want to wish you and yours a Merry Christmas.
As I was thinking about my own conversation with family, friends and the many people I talk with daily via telephone, this Scripture verse came to my mind from the Apostle Paul in the Book of Colossians:
Colossians 4:6
Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.
NKJV
As God has given us grace in abundance in saving us from sin and sinning, we are commissioned to share that grace with others we meet. By reading the Bible and depending upon the Holy Spirit we can achieve this word of admonition. I must admit that my speech is not always with grace. In addition, it needs to be seasoned with salt to make it taste better and to preserve the message of grace. God is still working on me at the age of 88.
James a half brother of Jesus wrote this key to speech: James 1:19-20, " . . . let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; 20 for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God" (NKJV). Since we have two ears it is imperative that we take time to listen before responding. So, we move with speed to listen carefully. Then, before we engage our tongues in speech we need to slow it down by thinking through the process. And of course, if we are angry we need to cool off and wait until we have a clear head before speaking. Most of all, we must remember that the wrath of man will not produce the righteousness of God.
The writer of the Proverbs has this to say on this subject: "An offended brother is more unyielding than a fortified city,
and disputes are like the barred gates of a citadel" (Proverbs 18:19, NIV).
One of the ways we can refine our speech is to offer the hope God promises from the Word of God. Here is my favorite Scripture on hope:
Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
NIV
Let us believe that the God of hope will fill us with all joy and peace as we trust in Him. Regardless of our present circumstances, we can lift our voices in praise to God for the beauty of His Holiness (2 Chronicles 3:21).
I love to sing hymns and Gospel songs. One of my favorite hymns is "Great is Thy Faithfulness." The third stanza goes like this:
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!
That is good Biblical theology: pardon for sin and a peace that endures.
At this Christmas season may we renew our love for God in sending His Son in the form of a baby. There is no story in the whole world like the story of the incarnation of Jesus. I love how Eugene Peterson penned the words in the Gospel of John about the Word becoming flesh:
John 1:14
The Word became flesh and blood,
and moved into the neighborhood.
We saw the glory with our own eyes,
the one-of-a-kind glory,
like Father, like Son,
Generous inside and out,
true from start to finish.
(from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.)
Again, I want to wish you and yours a Merry Christmas.