People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.
Actions speak louder than words.
St. Francis of Assisi said, "Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words."
There’s a reason God gave us two ears and one mouth. We are often quick to speak, to share our thoughts, to offer our opinions and tell it like it is. Many of us are a people who think that having something to share means other people need to hear what’s going on in our heads. Yet, the stuff going on in our head (and heart) is just as messed up as the person we are sharing “our” wisdom with in an effort to straighten them out.
James 1:26 says, “Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.” A few verses earlier we are encouraged to be quick to listen and slow to speak. Being quick to speak is then linked with being quick to become angry which seems appropriate. How many times have you made someone angry by listening to them?
A couple of weeks ago I was approached by someone in my church who pointed out a scripture to me and began to tell me how I was in violation of God’s desire for me. Now, the man had heard a story somewhere and made some assumptions about me. He never asked if what was said was true. He never asked how things had really happened. He simply took something he heard 3rd or 4th hand and decided it was time to set me straight. I’m not sure why my mind immediately went to Proverbs 29:20 (“Do you see someone who speaks in haste? There is more hope for a fool than for them.”) and I’m so thankful it did because it would have been easy for me to respond in anger, not righteous anger mind you, but a mean-spirited anger. He spoke to me in haste and I didn’t want to respond in the same way. Instead, I remained silent while one of my brothers who knows me took him aside and visited about the situation.
I see Jesus building relationships with people he wants to correct, not just throwing scripture at them without understanding anything about them. Jesus is among the people, he knows their needs, he knows their weaknesses, he knows their hopes and he knows their sorrows. Then he speaks to them. I may never listen to what my brother from church has to say to me because he doesn’t want to know me but he does seem to want to share his religion so that I will make it my own. I appreciate his conviction but think I’ll stick with what I hear God telling me after I have spent time in prayer, listening for his words and his direction.
We can share our faith and we can share what the Gospel message has to say to people around us but we should always make sure we do so in situations where a). God has given us the words to speak and b). we have built relationships with people so that they know we do care about them.
I’m thankful for my good brothers who take the time to hear me before speaking to me, who take the time to love me before chastising me, who take the time to know me before sharing what they want me to know. I hope that more and more people of faith will heed the words of James, speak when called and remain silent in the Lord letting his power shine through them by doing the deeds he would call them to and speaking their works he directs them to speak.
Grace and peace to you.
Jeff Jones
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