Our chance to speak requires a choice

Two events you should know about 

  1. The Bible study, Foundations of Faith, begins this week. You may view the teaching video here: https://www.janetdenisonbiblestudy.com/.
  2. Tomorrow is North Texas Giving Day. Denison Ministries is a donor-based ministry, and your gift would be a blessing to our work. You can give now or tomorrow, and we will use your gift to share Christ with our culture. Thank you for helping us provide a biblical perspective to our world.

Eloquent or efficient?

My husband and I were talking about some amazing quotes from theologians Charles Spurgeon and Dwight L. Moody, who lived almost two hundred years ago. 

There is something to be said about the theology and sermons that were written when a person had to use a jar of ink and a blotter to carefully apply a pen to a piece of paper. People used to think carefully before pouring words into the world. 

Has eloquence been exchanged for efficiency? 

Prolific or profound? 

I think the era of computers has enabled Christians to be prolific, but not always profound. I can produce a few hundred words in a short amount of time, and my written mistakes can be corrected by quickly highlighting them and hitting a delete button. 

I have often wished my spoken words had that same function. 

It seems like our lives are filled with constant programming. Words and opinions fly 24/7 on hundreds of channels and streaming possibilities. I still remember when a person could turn on a television and hear a humming sound while the screen said something like, “We are off the air and will return at 6:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time.” 

What if our most important and needed thoughts were only discovered in the quiet? 

King Solomon said, “When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent” (Proverbs 10:19). The New Living Translation of that verse says, “Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut.” 

Most of the people I consider wise are also quiet. Most of the words I have wished to take back were spoken or written in the heat of the moment. And that is the real clue. 

Profound thoughts are rarely prolific. 

Wisdom has one source

The book of Proverbs begins by stating its purpose: “To know wisdom and instruction . . . to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth—Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance” (Proverbs 1:2–5). 

The book of Ecclesiastes closes by saying, “The words of the wise are like goads . . . they are given by One Shepherd. . . . beware of anything beyond these” (Ecclesiastes 12:11–12). 

We have an ocean of information available to us now, and that is wonderful. 

Unless what you really need is that one important grain of truth. 

Pastor Rick Warren said, “Many of our troubles occur because we base our choices on unreliable authorities: culture (‘everyone is doing it’), tradition (‘we’ve always done it’), reason (‘it seems logical’), or emotion (‘it just felt right’).” 

The reliable authority is God, our “One Shepherd.” 

In other words, Google is not God. 

Culture is rarely Christian. 

Wisdom is rarely wordy or worldly. 

Get wisdom

Proverbs 4:5 is a command of Scripture, not a suggestion. That verse says, “Get wisdom; get insight; do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth.” 

God preserved and provided his word so we could “get wisdom” and know how to make godly choices. We have been commanded to speak God’s wisdom over opinions. We have been invited to live in heaven so we should live like heaven is where we belong. We should get wisdom and speak wisely. 

It’s our best option today, and, one day in heaven, it will be our only option. 

Isn’t that an amazing thought? 

In heaven, we will always speak and hear wisdom! 

Until heaven, our chance requires a choice

According to an NPR report, you will speak about 16,000 words today. I couldn’t find a study that revealed how many words we hear—but just imagine. We live in a noisy culture. 

Every chance we have to speak requires us to choose our words wisely. How many times today will we choose to speak like our “One Shepherd?” How do we make that choice? 

Start with this thought from God, through the Apostle Paul: “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Philippians 4:8). 

Let’s turn off the noise and think more often. 

Think about the things Paul said. 

Most importantly, just give yourself a lot of time, and a lot of quiet, to think. 

The chance to speak requires a choice. 

I close this blog with one of my favorite verses in Scripture. Isaiah told God’s people how to listen for his voice. The prophet said, “And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it’” (Isaiah 30:21). 

This blogger would also suggest, “Think about God’s way and then talk in it.” 

Thank you for reading, and, if you are led to, for giving.

The Best Way to End Arguments

The older I get, the more valuable time seems. And I don’t want to spend a lot of time debating people who aren’t looking for an answer as much as an argument.

My husband, Jim, was preaching from Luke 5 when the idea for this blog post was born. In that passage, Peter, the apostle, provides the best way to end arguments about our faith.

Peter and his coworkers, Andrew, James, and John, had just returned from a very unproductive fishing expedition. These men were professional fishermen. Jim reminded us that Jesus was a carpenter.

Technically, Jesus should have offered Peter advice about building a boat and left the fishing to Peter and his crew. Instead, Jesus tells Peter, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch” (Luke 5:4).

You have to love Peter at this point.

He gently reminds the King of the Universe who the “professional” fisherman in the conversation should be. Peter says, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing” (5:5).  I would love to have a photo of Jesus’ face at this moment. I imagine Jesus giving Peter “the look” because the next words have Peter saying, “But at your word I will let down the nets” (5:5).

Bam. Argument over.

Expert opinions

Our culture struggles with authority these days, and often that’s a good thing.

We live in an era when the news media is more interested in creating drama than reporting facts. Those of us who blog for the internet are told to “grab” our readers in the first two paragraphs because we only have eight seconds before readers click it “off.” Creativity should never be more important than truth.

(A personal word: keep reading on my posts . . . the best stuff is almost always at the end.)

Are the best opinions in front of the camera wearing makeup and designer clothes or exiting the network doors with their resumes in hand? What if our finest opinions are unheard because the authors of those opinions don’t want to endure the media circus that is sure to follow? Opinions are only as impressive as their sources.

Some people accept authority better than others. You probably already know your own tendencies. Do you question whether the doctor is giving you good advice? Do you tend to believe or doubt the “experts” you encounter? How does that impact your approach to God’s word?

Peter was an expert fisherman and had built a large company as a result. (We know that because he had multiple employees and boats.) The apostle could have created an effective argument with Jesus, and most of us would have been swayed by his opinion. Peter was, after all, the expert fisherman. But Peter was also aware of who was telling him to get back in the boat.

Peter’s words should frame every faith argument we have in the future. We might see ourselves as the “experts” in the conversation,but we aren’t; Jesus is. The words that should guide ours are the same words Peter used: “But at your word I will” believe, go, teach, obey, choose—you get the point.

Obedience and blessings

Are we struggling to believe everything the Bible teaches?

Are we okay with kids or grandkids living together or experimenting with sex before marriage because “it’s what everyone is doing these days”?

Have we begun to think of things like abortion as a political opinion rather than what God’s word says about life?

Do we think because someone is born with a weakness that it justifies their sinful behavior?

Do we go easier on sin because the world offers understanding and compassion as justification?

How do we “argue” for our faith in a world that makes great arguments against our beliefs?

Peter answered that question for us with his example.  He told Jesus, “But at your word I will . . . .”

Psalm 119 is about the eternal truth of God’s word. I try to read that psalm often to focus my own thoughts and ideas. The psalm begins by saying, “Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord!”

Peter’s men went fishing again that day and caught so many fish their boats started to sink. They returned to the shore with their enormous catch and, “when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, ‘Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.’ For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken” (Luke 5:8–9).

Peter obeyed Jesus’ word and was greatly blessed.

All of us desire God’s blessings, and God wants us to have them. The next time we argue with the wisdom of Scripture or become involved in someone else’s argument with God’s word, let’s follow Peter’s example. We just need to look to Jesus and say, “But at your word I will . . . .”

Bam. Argument over.

Have a “blessed” week!