God Said

There is a simple phrase that runs through Scripture that until this weekend I'd generally skimmed over. We are introduced to it 3 lines into the story of Creation, "God said" (Genesis 3:1).

This week has been interesting, I took a vow of silence for one day and then about 4 days later I lost my voice for 3 more days. It was terribly frustrating to not even be able to do basic communication like ordering dinner. I was completely dependent on my roommate to listen closely enough that she could understand and then pass the message along. Not being able to communicate directly also meant being left out of many conversations because people were too impatient to let me interrupt the flow.

The experience gave me a greater appreciation for what God must feel. He has chosen to communicate through His Church. He depends on Christians to listen carefully to what He is trying to say and to pass that message along. There were times that my roommate didn't exactly say what I had wanted but she knew me well enough that the spirit of what I was saying still got across. The same is true with God, the better we know God's heart, the clearer the message will come across. God can get our attention other ways, much like me banging on the table, but for the most part He seems content to allow us to be His messengers. This places a great responsibility on Christians, if we do not speak God's Word, many will not hear the message of Truth.

There is an amazing power contained in the spoken word. God's Word brought the entire earth, and everything in it, into existence in an instant. The prophets and the priests often brought messages to Israel that began with the phrase, "The word of the Lord came to me saying..." (Jeremiah 1:4). They were calls to repentance that had the potential to change the heart of the entire nation, but it was dependent on the prophet to speak the message.

Then we get the beautiful prologue from the Gospel according to John, "and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us" (John 1:14) that introduces us to Jesus. While Jesus was on Earth he spoke for God because he was (and is) God. He taught us what the Father had been trying to say for years. He knew God's heart, he shared God's heart, and so Jesus was able to share that heart with humanity.

Now with the advent of Pentecost Christians have the same Spirit in us that Christ did. He empowers us to speak the same message of Truth. The message has been entrusted to us, do we know God's heart well enough to share it well. It is easy to forget how much power is contained in our words because they are so plentiful. But it is amazing how much different it is to read the words "you are forgiven" and to have them pronounced over you.

I challenge you to be mindful of the words you speak. Remember that as a Christian you are God's voice to the world and the world is depending on you to transmit His message clearly.