on speaking the truth
Hey friends! I hope your week has been splendid. I'm linking up with She Reads Truth again to be a part of #SheSharesTruth in order to connect with other women and share our thoughts on a passage of Scripture. This week's passage is 1 Corinthians 2:1-5:
And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
So often it is easy to stay silent about the most important things. It is easier to sit still and keep your mouth shut when you want to save face. But living as a follower of Christ is not about saving face. It is about making Him known. Even when your desire to be well-liked is stronger than your desire to bring Him glory.
As an outgoing person, I find it easy to talk with others. I love learning about people's backgrounds and finding common ground with those who look nothing like me. But as a human being, I have times when I just want to be left alone. When I want to not be bothered and want to stay comfortable. Jesus never asks about my comfort, though. He doesn't want me to find strength in my perceived safety. He wants me to find strength in Him.
Not speaking words of truth can be an act of prideful disobedience. God has done great things for me, and I believe that it is worth sharing with others. So why don't I more often? Well, I worry about whether my words will come out right. Will I offend someone? Will I say the wrong thing at the wrong time?
All of the above are excuses in God's economy. Paul, the author of 1 Corinthians (and like, most of the New Testament, #winning) writes to the people in Corinth to simply state that the Holy Spirit was the One who inspired them and breathed new life into them. Nothing he said could have made a difference if not given to him by God Himself.
So friends, when you find yourself in a situation where you know that you've got the words to say to someone that would help, encourage, or challenge them to look to or walk more like Jesus, say them. Our words, eloquent or uneducated, are not what save people. Jesus saves. So glorify Him in your speech and watch how people take note and are drawn to the Savior Himself.
And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
So often it is easy to stay silent about the most important things. It is easier to sit still and keep your mouth shut when you want to save face. But living as a follower of Christ is not about saving face. It is about making Him known. Even when your desire to be well-liked is stronger than your desire to bring Him glory.
As an outgoing person, I find it easy to talk with others. I love learning about people's backgrounds and finding common ground with those who look nothing like me. But as a human being, I have times when I just want to be left alone. When I want to not be bothered and want to stay comfortable. Jesus never asks about my comfort, though. He doesn't want me to find strength in my perceived safety. He wants me to find strength in Him.
Not speaking words of truth can be an act of prideful disobedience. God has done great things for me, and I believe that it is worth sharing with others. So why don't I more often? Well, I worry about whether my words will come out right. Will I offend someone? Will I say the wrong thing at the wrong time?
All of the above are excuses in God's economy. Paul, the author of 1 Corinthians (and like, most of the New Testament, #winning) writes to the people in Corinth to simply state that the Holy Spirit was the One who inspired them and breathed new life into them. Nothing he said could have made a difference if not given to him by God Himself.
So friends, when you find yourself in a situation where you know that you've got the words to say to someone that would help, encourage, or challenge them to look to or walk more like Jesus, say them. Our words, eloquent or uneducated, are not what save people. Jesus saves. So glorify Him in your speech and watch how people take note and are drawn to the Savior Himself.