I talk too much. It is a flaw I am trying to work on. When I get excited about a topic, I have the ability to overwhelm others around me. I am self-aware of this verbose tendency and I am working on it. If you know me, you are welcome to bring this to my attention when I am lacking tongue control.
My topics of obsession shift from football to extreme weather, politics to theology. Thanks to the internet, I am an expert in 9 out of 10 subjects. In hindsight, there is one subject for which I talk too little- Jesus.
Our culture does not want Christians to talk too much about Jesus. To some, even the mention of the name of our Lord is offensive. For example, on the opening night of The Refuge Christian Youth Center (May 1998), a Charlotte news channel covered the event and placed a camera in my face for a quick interview. After about 90 seconds of answering a few direct questions from the interviewer, my part was complete. At 11pm, we watched the telecast to see many clips of the students talking, playing, and enjoying the concert. My minute and a half segment was reduced to less than 5 seconds that did not make sense. What was the problem? The editors for the television station edited out all references to Jesus. All that was left was a handful of prepositional phrases unsuccessfully pieced together.
If the words we speak everyday were weaved into a life story, would there be enough to make sense without mentioning Jesus? For the followers of Christ, our daily lives should not make sense without Him. If the Holy Spirit is our guide and we understand the work of God in salvation, we should have nothing else more important to talk about.
John and Peter were faced with a decision in Acts 4. The religious leaders had arrested these disciples for speaking the name of Jesus. They were released from jail with the strict warning that the punishment would be worse if the speech continued. Essentially, the leaders were saying, “Keep your religious beliefs to yourself. If you want to believe that a dead man is alive, fine! But do not share your ideas with others.”
But Peter and John loved Jesus more than anything else. The Lord changed their lives in the most radical way. They watched Jesus hang and die on a cross so that they could know and enjoy a relationship with God. Their life was not worth living unless they spoke of Jesus to others. Without sharing Christ with others and making disciples, they would have no real purpose. “For we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard” was their simple plea to those who would persecute them.
People will not remember all of our words. Yet, they will remember those which we repeat often or what is spoken in critical moments. A friend of mine remembers a verse I shared when a loved one was near death. A young lady remembers a phrase I repeated every week when I was her youth pastor. People remember us by our words.
Here is a thought that makes me shudder: When my kids are between 25 and 30 years old, what words that came from my mouth will they remember? What am I speaking into their lives now that will make a difference? I want them to follow Jesus with relentless devotion and authentic faith in Christ. Do I talk about Jesus so much that my kids know that He is the reason I live? Do I speak of Him so much that they know that I worship Him (and not my favorite sports team, my job, or any other momentary adventure)?
On Sunday mornings, I have no problem singing the lyrics from the worship song, “And it’s all because of Jesus I’m alive; It’s all because the blood of Jesus Christ; That covers me and raised this dead man’s life; It’s all because of Jesus I’m alive.” But I am willing to let this truth permeate every moment of my speech?
If there is nothing more important to talk about than Jesus, then those who claim to follow Christ should speak without reservation. If the worst critique of my life given by a non-Christian is that I talk to much about Jesus, then I am unashamed. If our family, neighbors, friends, or acquaintances would be surprised to discover we believe in Jesus, then we are failing to fulfill our purpose. My hunch is that we will speak of that which we love the most.
“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” (Psalm 19:14, ESV)
To read the previous posts in this series, you can click on the links below:
“Cannot But Speak” Introduction
Talk to God First
Talk About Your Testimony
The Not So Quiet Christian Life
In the next post I will conclude this series with a final thought on speaking boldly of Christ. Check back soon or sign up to receive updates to this blog on the “Email Subscription” link to the right.
Shepherding Well 