Words Matter

6/9/2021

Written By: Christina Gregory

Buzzfeed quizzes are my guilty pleasure. My most recent was “The Pixar characters you choose will reveal what you should order for dinner tonight.” I’m here for all of it! While Buzzfeed claims they can tell me my summer aesthetic or what member of the Kardashian family I am, they don’t have a quiz that can tell me what person from the Bible I am! No, this isn’t a Kingdom issue, but Podcasters I listen to know theirs, and I’m a follower!

I’m not Jacob, I’m much too weak to wrestle with Jesus. I’m not Esther, I’m not brave enough for such a time as this. I’m not confident enough to refer to myself as “the one that Jesus loved,” like John. I am Elihu! And here’s why:

“I also will answer with my share; I also will declare my opinion. For I am full of words; the spirit within me constrains me. Behold, my belly is like wine that has no vent; like new wineskins ready to burst. I must speak, that I may find relief; I must open my lips and answer.” -Job 32:17-20

Call me dramatic, but I have for sure said “I must speak, that I may find relief.” I had been quoting Scripture without even knowing it! I have no lack of words. It’s a blessing and a curse, and it was for my guy, Elihu, too. Elihu spends five, long chapters imposing his interpretation on the reason for Job’s suffering. The good news about Elihu’s speech is there’s a lot of truth about the righteous and holy character of God. The bad news is, most everything else is just Elihu’s unwarranted, inaccurate opinion. I think Elihu meant well, but his anger got the best of him. Me too, Elihu.

I can’t half feel anything. There aren’t a lot of grey areas in my life. I either love or hate things. I view things as either good or bad, right or wrong. And when things excite me, for better or worse, I can easily go on a five chapter long tangent too. This has been the root of most of my fights since I began speaking. When I let my emotions dictate the words I choose, I find myself in sin. I can’t possibly speak from a place of love. I leave every one of these conversations with feelings of shame and regret. And what’s worse is any truth I spoke is drowned out by my unwarranted, inaccurate opinions.

“I have no lack of words” and “I can’t half feel anything” have been phrases I’ve used for years to validate my lack of verbal control. But in the pursuit of being Christ-like, the Lord has graciously offered me a new phrase that not only speaks truth to the person I’m speaking to, but humbly speaks right to my sin. “There’s nothing that I can say that the Lord hasn’t already said better.”

For common issues, I know a Scripture I can reference, and I know God’s perfect position on the topic. I like being prepared, and I want to do my best to not be caught off guard in a conversation and ultimately lead my family and friends astray with my opinions. When I read my Bible, I am always looking for Scripture that I can easily work into conversation. Or if I’m looking for something specific, I Google it!

Honestly, I don’t always like God’s position on everything. It can be hard to accept and even harder to deliver. But God is God and He’s good at being God. And there is an indescribable peace that comes with positioning yourself on every topic with the humble posture of Christ. When I do this, speaking with love comes easier. I don’t leave conversations feeling burdened by shame and regret. This peace is not self-righteous. It doesn’t mean I’ve won the argument. It doesn’t mean I will be without persecution for my belief. It means that I’ve remained sinless through the conversation and that glorifies God, and the peace He gives is a gift for my faithfulness.

Philippians 2:14-16 says, “Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run or labor in vain.”

Lord, let it be well with my soul if my only victory is to be found blameless and innocent in Your sight. And when my harsh, worldly tongue gets the best of me, I know Your precious blood will cover it and continue to transform me to be more like You.