Transcript
If you would watch sort of the summary video of my life, you would say this man is not very good at silence. I've never hurt anybody by my silence because I always have plenty to say and I think that's been a huge spiritual battle for me. I'm quick witted. I've got a short path between my brain and my mouth. There's a way in which those are all God-given gifts, but it's been a huge struggle for me.
When Words Are Many, Sin Is Not Absent
I wrote War of Words, not as an expert. I wrote War of Words on my own struggle. And I think the Proverbs that says when words are many, sin is not absent has grabbed a hold of something that's important. Serving the kingdom with my words is not just the matter of crafting kingdom-oriented words.
It's also about knowing when not to speak, knowing I don't have to speak all the time. It's the maturity of silence that's very, very important. It doesn't just make sense. The more I'm talking, the more I'm just letting it fly, the more possibility there is that the sin nature that's still inside of me will be given room in those words. I mean, it just makes sense and so part of winning that war of words is being committed to actually speak less.
It seems to me that many words is often attached to the kingdom of self. I'm sitting here, I'm afraid this conversation won't go where I want it to go or I'm afraid I won't get what I need, or I'm afraid people won't think of me what I like them to think of me. All of those self-oriented purposes are what produce this volume of communication that comes out of me.
Think where faith takes me. This relationship is in God's hands. God's my Father. He knows exactly what I need. I can rest in His care. I don't have to caress my reputation in your presence. I don't have to market my needs before you. All of those in the hands of God, I can rest and, in my rest, I'm actually able to be quiet because God has all of what I need in His hands. And I'm now looking for opportunities to not advance all that needy, anxious stuff that makes me speak because I've entrusted that to God. I now can rest that God will take care of me and I'm able to speak in places that I think are really important to Him, and advance His purposes for this moment.
