Thought for Today
Proverbs 31:26 She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
Micah 6:8 He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
Philippians 2:10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
James 3:5 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great exploits. How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire!
“I stand in awe of people who contribute meaningfully to conversations, who bring down anxieties with well-chosen word or who offer advice that comforts and sustains . . . Unfortunately, I typically come up with my best responses two or three days after the conversation occurred.” (These Days, September 17, 2024) Me too!
Greta read today’s devotional before I did and caught me just as I finished my first cup of coffee. That first cup of coffee is the metaphorical starter for the metaphorical engine of my mind. Greta has more than once patiently heard me discourse at great length on the power of words. As I have grown older, and as I have transitioned from engineer to minister, I have increasingly been fascinated by words and the power of words.
One of my favorite titles for Jesus is the Incarnate Creative Word of God. That title evolved from reading and studying the Creation Story in Genesis and the first chapter of the Gospel of John. The prophet Isaiah wrote of God, “45:7 I form light and create darkness, I make weal and create woe; I the Lord do all these things.” In the Creation Story we repeatedly find these words following the actions of creation, “And God saw that it was good.” In John, we find, “1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” The word John uses for ‘word’ is λόγος (Logos); and, we sometimes find Jesus referred to as the Logos.
In Creation, God formed light and darkness. God found that Creation was good. Good was created as part of the very fabric of Creation. And all we are called upon to do in response to the goodness God provides is “to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with (y)our God.”
We are created in God’s image. Like God, through our tongues, our use of our words, we can “make weal and create woe.” We can utter words of justice, words of kindness and love, words of humility, words of worship directed toward God. Do we?
James was correct. We often do boast of great exploits. Often our own words become that small fire which sets a great forest ablaze. Today, listen to the words you hear spoken by those around you. Listen to the words on the radio, on television. Read the words written on social media. Watch for the justice. Listen for the love and kindness. Search in vain for any hints of humility.
As we think about words and watch for words and what they convey, also remember that humans communicate with more than ‘mere’ words. We communicate with our tone of voice, with the inflection we impart and with our body language. We also communicate what is in our minds and what fills our hearts by our actions. I often think about and reference in what I write those words from the Epistle of James, "2:18 Show me your faith apart from your works, and I by my works will show you my faith.”
The Incarnate Creative Word of God said, “Matthew 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” We can; we should; and we do. A part of that yoke, however, involves remembering Jesus’ words, "Luke 10:27 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself." Express that love in your words and in your deeds.
Stay safe, speak words of love, justice and kindness, trust God,
Pastor Ray