“Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed.You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols.Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, ‘Jesus be cursed,’ and no one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit.”
(1 Corinthians 12:1-3, NIV)
Who speaks for me? That’s a question I ask myself a lot lately. I’m not really concerned with who takes my side or who stands up for me when I’m not around. I’m more interested in what people hear as if coming from my voice.
Does my husband speak for me? I remember many years ago when I was on the pastoral staff at a small church, and my husband served on a committee there. Each time he spoke up in the meetings, the other team members mistakenly believed he was inserting my wishes into their plans. No. Bill and I have different views on many things so he’s not likely to be the one who asserts my position. He might share his understanding of my opinion, but he’s not my voice.
What about my children? Do people listen to them and assume their words are my words? Lord, have mercy. My children have three very distinct identities, and their ideas are certainly their own. Seldom do they agree with one another; rarer still do they concur with me. Not one of them is shy in making their own voice heard in a given situation, and none of them offers my voice as their own.
Is my voice heard through the expressions of my friends? Perhaps our conversations together flavor our thoughts, but my friends don’t carry my voice or talk for me.
Do my colleagues speak for me? We often share emotions and experiences, but the way we interpret those are varied. My colleagues do not speak for me.
No, others do not speak for me. My voice is my own. No one else carries that weight. I, alone, am answerable for my words, and that is a huge responsibility. I am the only one who is accountable for the views that come out of this mouth of mine – the only one who is in control of the sentences I type – the only one liable for the thoughts I share.
With this responsibility, comes a great desire to be informed. I want what I say to be influenced by truth and peace and love. When Paul wrote to the people in Corinth, he wanted to teach them “the various way God’s Spirit gets worked into our lives. This is complex and often misunderstood,” he said, “but I want you to be informed and knowledgeable. Remember how you were when you didn’t know God, led from one phony god to another, never knowing what you were doing, just doing it because everybody else did it? It’s different in this life. God wants us to use our intelligence, to seek to understand as well as we can. For instance, by using your heads, you know perfectly well that the Spirit of God would never prompt anyone to say ‘Jesus be damned!’ Nor would anyone be inclined to say ‘Jesus is Master!’ without the insight of the Holy Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 12:1-3, The Message)
Yep, I want to be informed and led by the Holy Spirit of God in every thought, every word, and every action. I want God’s Spirit to work into my life and prompt me to say “Jesus is Master.” In a chaotic world where sickness is rampant and violence seems unstoppable, I want my words to be driven by the power of the Spirit and the love of Jesus.
Who speaks for me? With God’s help, I do.
Finding my voice,
Pastor Beth
(1 Corinthians 12:1-3, NIV)
Who speaks for me? That’s a question I ask myself a lot lately. I’m not really concerned with who takes my side or who stands up for me when I’m not around. I’m more interested in what people hear as if coming from my voice.
Does my husband speak for me? I remember many years ago when I was on the pastoral staff at a small church, and my husband served on a committee there. Each time he spoke up in the meetings, the other team members mistakenly believed he was inserting my wishes into their plans. No. Bill and I have different views on many things so he’s not likely to be the one who asserts my position. He might share his understanding of my opinion, but he’s not my voice.
What about my children? Do people listen to them and assume their words are my words? Lord, have mercy. My children have three very distinct identities, and their ideas are certainly their own. Seldom do they agree with one another; rarer still do they concur with me. Not one of them is shy in making their own voice heard in a given situation, and none of them offers my voice as their own.
Is my voice heard through the expressions of my friends? Perhaps our conversations together flavor our thoughts, but my friends don’t carry my voice or talk for me.
Do my colleagues speak for me? We often share emotions and experiences, but the way we interpret those are varied. My colleagues do not speak for me.
No, others do not speak for me. My voice is my own. No one else carries that weight. I, alone, am answerable for my words, and that is a huge responsibility. I am the only one who is accountable for the views that come out of this mouth of mine – the only one who is in control of the sentences I type – the only one liable for the thoughts I share.
With this responsibility, comes a great desire to be informed. I want what I say to be influenced by truth and peace and love. When Paul wrote to the people in Corinth, he wanted to teach them “the various way God’s Spirit gets worked into our lives. This is complex and often misunderstood,” he said, “but I want you to be informed and knowledgeable. Remember how you were when you didn’t know God, led from one phony god to another, never knowing what you were doing, just doing it because everybody else did it? It’s different in this life. God wants us to use our intelligence, to seek to understand as well as we can. For instance, by using your heads, you know perfectly well that the Spirit of God would never prompt anyone to say ‘Jesus be damned!’ Nor would anyone be inclined to say ‘Jesus is Master!’ without the insight of the Holy Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 12:1-3, The Message)
Yep, I want to be informed and led by the Holy Spirit of God in every thought, every word, and every action. I want God’s Spirit to work into my life and prompt me to say “Jesus is Master.” In a chaotic world where sickness is rampant and violence seems unstoppable, I want my words to be driven by the power of the Spirit and the love of Jesus.
Who speaks for me? With God’s help, I do.
Finding my voice,
Pastor Beth
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