As I was working on the last two blog posts (Spiritual Ministry, Part 1 and Part 2), an insight occurred to me, but set it aside. Now that I’m finished with the series, I want to address the observation I had.
While I was reading through Bible passages about verbal ministry (the subject of the first post), it dawned on me that those of us who speak God’s Word are responsible for what we say.
This applies to those engaged in practical ministry, too. If God has given you the skill to play the piano, then you’re responsible to use that talent to honor the Lord and bless others as much as you can.
My ministry is verbal; I try to express the thoughts and ideas of Scripture to help people become complete disciples of Jesus.
So I’m responsible for what I communicate. Whether I preach, teach, or write, I’m accountable for what I’m telling people. I have to make sure I’m faithful to God’s heart and beneficial for the spiritual well-being of others.
Although responsibility in ministry is a general matter, I was thinking about it in a specific way.
It has to do with the issue of spiritual success. I’d say most pastors and evangelists serve because they want to share with people how to experience God’s will in life.
And one of the keys of spiritual success is mastering our speech.
- “Be careful what you say”
- “You can have what you say”
- “Don’t just read the Word, speak the Word”
These and similar admonitions pervade the messages in many Bible-believing churches. The preachers aim to remind (or persuade) people that God wants to bless them. Scripture has the power to change their lives.
Among the many passages and verses pastors use to convey these ideas is one that distills the message to its essence.
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” – Proverbs 18:21 (NASB)
A simple verse with explosive implications.
It’s easy to interpret the statement as a revelation of the force of our words. If we declare positives, we’ll enjoy blessings. If we complain and criticize, we’ll suffer affliction.
Life or death–it’s our choice.
But awareness isn’t enough; we have to practice what the Word declares. This will take time, but if we learn to enjoy the process of speaking God’s Words, we’ll become adept at obtaining victory in every situation.
What’s not to love about that?
So we can regard Proverbs 18:21 as a spiritual fact. It’s something that the Holy Spirit wants us to understand and enact.
But let’s step back and reflect on our interpretation of the verse. It’s a saying in the book of Proverbs, so that makes it–wait for it!–a proverb! I know, a master of the obvious!
Proverbs are succinct maxims that contain insights useful for people. Most of the time, they’re practical, not abstract. And often they’re targeted, not vague or exhaustive.
Here are two examples of what I mean:
- “Do not answer a fool according to his folly, lest you also be like him.” – Proverbs 26:4 (NKJV)
- “Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes.” – Proverbs 26:5 (NKJV)
If we take the advice in these verses as absolute, we have a contradiction. But they’re proverbs, not philosophical axioms. So if we temper our understanding of them, and apply them as various situations call for, we’ll find both of them are valid.
So how does the contextual nature of Proverbs 18:21 affect our interpretation of it? Well, going through the whole book shows us that many of the proverbs deal with social interactions. (A neat way to confirm this is to read a chapter a day for a month. Proverbs has 31 chapters, so this schedule works pretty well.) Solomon and others advise us how to treat people, keep our word, show respect, and practice kindness. Proverbs is all about practical, moral wisdom. Rather than seeing this verse as a principle of spiritual power, we’re nearer the mark if we view it as a social recommendation.
I’ve noticed that many Christians apply it in a private manner. They speak to whatever problem they’re facing and declare the solution in Jesus Christ. Some will go even further and use it as a form of magic, as if voicing their wishes guarantees their realization.
This isn’t what Solomon was getting at! Proverbs 18:21 encourages us to speak well to and with others. Our words should be truthful, honest, and helpful. If we learn to love the routine of interacting with people, we’ll discover two results. We’ll get blessed and, most of all, we’ll bless others. The words we share can help or hinder people; they can uplift or tear down.
Based on how Jesus speaks to me, I know what I want to do. I want to speak (write, sing, whatever!) things that make people better off for having met me. And the only way I can do that is by dedicating myself to God’s Word.
We don’t need magic; we have Jesus! As we follow Him, He’ll equip us to help others along the way. And He’ll work wonders in our lives, too!
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