with Bob Condly
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The Power of Words

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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!

Spiritual Ministry, Part 2

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The apostle Peter divides ministries into two general categories.

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 11If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen. – 1 Peter 4:10-11

Last week, we looked at examples of verbal service; today, we’ll delve into hands-on ministry.

But keep in mind that both forms are spiritual and both are gifts from God. One type isn’t better than the other. Though they differ in how they operate, speaking and serving aim to glorify the Lord and build up the body of Christ.

If you’re anointed to communicate the gospel, keep developing your ministry. Don’t look down on those who work with their hands; their ministry is important!

And the opposite is also true. Christians skilled in practical ministries shouldn’t disdain preaching or praying. I realize that words alone aren’t always enough. The apostle James reminds of this when he asks, “Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16If one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?” (James 2:15-16).

And John says pretty much the same thing: “If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth” (1 John 3:17-18).

Words matter, sure, but actions count!

The book of Acts illustrates the value of hands-on ministry.

In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas); she was always doing good and helping the poor. 37About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room. 38Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, “Please come at once!” 39Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them. 40Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. 41He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called for the believers, especially the widows, and presented her to them alive. 42This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord. – Acts 9:36-42

This is an amazing account of a miraculous restoration. Tabitha, a devoted Christian servant, was dead, but through Peter, God’s power brought her back to life! News spread fast in the region, and people came to Christ as a result. Praise God for that!

But let’s not overlook something. Verse 39 mentions the widows grieving over Tabitha and pointing to all the garments she’d made for the poor (see verse 36). How good were the clothes she created that people would point to them while she lay in state? Tabitha had talent! The Lord so blessed her ministry that at her death, the garments she made testified to her caring heart and practical ability. 

Shouldn’t we strive for the same?

What we do reveals what’s in our hearts. Our deeds express what we value, what we’re good at, what we deem worth our time and effort. Helping out the poor is one way to share the love and creativity of Jesus with those who need Him.

Tabitha is an excellent New Testament example of being a practical minister. But she’s not the only one. The Old Testament provides a precedent.

Then Moses said to the Israelites, “See, the LORD has chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 31and He has filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills– 32to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, 33to cut and set stones, to work in wood and to engage in all kinds of artistic crafts. 34And He has given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach others. 35He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as engravers, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weavers–all of them skilled workers and designers. – Exodus 35:30-35

The Tabernacle didn’t build itself! God gave Moses the plans for the facility, but also the people to construct it. And these workers weren’t on their own. Their abilities derived from the Holy Spirit. Craftsmanship, at least in this context, is a spiritual gift.

But I should point out that verbal and practical ministries don’t function in isolation from each other. Verse 34 says that Bezalel and Oholiab were able to instruct others in these crafts. They not only did the work, but they trained people who wanted to serve.

The bottom line is that, regardless of its form, spiritual ministry has a common source: the Holy Spirit. And it has common goals: to exalt the Lord and help people. The gospel of Jesus Christ ministers to every aspect of life. It redeems us in complete fashion: spirit, soul, and body.

So pursue the anointing of God’s Spirit. To be fruitful in whatever way you serve Jesus, you will need the Spirit. Whether raising the dead or sewing clothes, we can depend on Him to bless our work!

with Bob Condly

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