Two Texts on Tongue Use
Jeremiah 15:19, "If you utter what is precious... you shall be as My mouth."
God invites Jeremiah (and by extension of an extension, us too) to be His mouth. To speak the Words of God. To deliver to the people in our lives the Voice of the Almighty.
How? "Utter what is precious..."
What is, then, "precious" in God's sight? "Therefore thus says the LORD: 'If you return, I will restore you, and you shall stand before me. If you utter what is precious...'" So what is precious to God is to hear our voices say the words of return and restoration and worship--to say to God, and to each other, "God, we need You. We are sorry! We have sinned, and we are sinners. And yet You are Our God! And Your steadfast love never fails..." What is precious to God are these truths: Gospel-Truths.
When we are confess our sins and apologize. When we confess our distance and our weakness. When we claim God's covenant promise of steadfast love. When we praise and thank Him for who He is and for His salvation. When we remind others of these truths: things about Christ, what He has done, and what this means about them.
This is precious speech. This is what God Himself is saying. And when He hears us say it, He is glad.
1 Peter 4:10-11, "As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God..."
The gift of speech: what is it for? It is a gift from God given to His people so that we can "serve one another." We have been given gracious words--Gospel-oracles, -revelations, -insights, -wonders--in order to share those gifts with "one another." God wants us all to hear the Gospel. So He invites us all to speak the Gospel. ("How are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?" Rom 10:14)
Conclusion:
Some of us tend to slow speech; we prefer silence and very careful communications. Some of us tend to quick speech; regardless of what we prefer, words pour forth in torrents.
Those of us who tend to talk less are called here to speak. Speak up. Speak what is precious. And may your few, careful words be "like apples of gold in a setting of silver." (Prov 25:11) And may they increase.
Those of us who tend to talk a lot are called here to serve, to steward the gift well. Speak as a steward: under orders, submitted, responsible. Speak only what is precious. And may your many words be a symphony of praise, a vision of what is precious. And may they serve.
Photo by Sarah Louise Kinsella on Unsplash
