Thought for Friday, July 6th

July 6, 2012

Speaking Of

Have you ever know someone who could say a lot but not really say anything at all?

I have known people who could talk incessantly without really ever making a point or saying anything worth while.  While on the converse side of that coin,  I have known some people who could speak volumes with very little words.

Effective communication, like any other skill we may have, requires training, and practice.  And something many of us often don’t realize or recognize is that we communicate, sometimes more effectively by what we don’t say than by what we do.   Often our posture, our body language our expressions and our general attitude of countenance can say more than anything that might come out of our mouths.

Sometimes this can be quite obvious on a Sunday morning when people are singing about joy and power and their posture and countenance make them appear as if they could fall over from boredom.

We need to be aware of every aspect of how we communicate both in word and in deed so as to ensure that all of our communications both verbal and nonverbal speak towards declaring the praises and glory of our God.

“First learn the meaning of what you say, and then speak.”

-       Epectetus

  Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues;  And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.  For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.

Matthew 10:16-20

I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;  And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.

2 Timothy 4:1-5

How often do you listen to someone when you can tell by their very presence that tier is no substance behind their words?  And more importantly how often do you take stock of your own communications that extend beyond your verbal pronunciations.

Every thing about us should declare our love and our praises for our Lord.

So maybe we need to pay more attention to how we speak, in all they  ways we speak.

Today’s Prayer

Father,  I long to hear you speak your word and your will into my life and I know part of that will is that I will speak forth your praises and declare your glory in everything I do and in everyway I express myself.

“When the music fades
All is stripped away
And I simply come
Longing just to bring
Something that's of worth
That will bless Your heart
I'll bring You more than a song
For a song in itself
Is not what You have required
You search much deeper within
Through the way things appear
You're looking into my heart
I'm coming back to the heart of worship
And it's all about You,
It's all about You, Jesus
I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it
When it's all about You,
It's all about You, Jesus “

-  Lyrics from ‘Heart of Worship’ by Matt Redman