Like Fruit?

Sunday- I had the privilege of attending church this morning. Ah, America! Any church I wanted. At one point the pastor said and I'll quote him since I wrote it down word for word, "Christian, you cannot speak the word of God if you neglect the word of God." Of course that means to read the Bible daily but I was struck by the "word". The word "word" appears 4 times in those 2 sentences. It's important. Words are the basis for civilization, abstract thought, nearly all communication. The most amazing usage of the term "word" is the 1st sentence of the Gospel of John.

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."

Check it out - the Word WAS God. This was once explained to me that God spoke all matter into being. I'm not sure if that's all there is to that thought but it's interesting. I guess words are more important than I had first considered. Because I work in a corporate culture I have taken part in what is known as Meyers Briggs testing. Basically, it is a test that determines your work and relational style - returning a 4 letter code so that others who are familiar with the test and code know how to interact with you, or rather with your type of personality. My profile usually comes up "ENFJ", a people person whose descriptive catch phrase is "smooth talking persuader". I'm the one who gets everyone on the bus to start singing 99 bottles of beer on the wall.

Proverbs 18:21 says, Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit. Words are powerful. The words we speak in anger, the words that someone waits to hear that never come. How many times have I said things I wish I could take back? Psalm 39 says I will guard my ways lest I sin with my tongue; I will restrain my mouth with a muzzle.

So for an ENFJ, to not speak is a daunting task. Please, if I can't keep my mouth shut, let the right things come out of it. I want to lift my voice in praise. I want to use my words to uplift, encourage, and if possible, instruct, to help my brothers and sisters along their path. The gospel says that a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. I think that the analogy of bearing fruit is particularly beautiful. I've seen old trees with dry grey bark and most of its branches dead and bare, still sending up one green shoot heavy with apples or pears. Lord, let my tongue say things pleasing to You, words that bring life and encouragement. Let me be that tree still sending branches toward Your glory and offering up good fruit. That's the extent of the words I've got to say tonight.

God bless.

Ki