If Anyone Speaks

I wanted to take a moment to share something that truly touched my heart this morning as I was studying my Bible. Have you ever read a scripture that just jumps off the page and speaks directly to you? Well, that was me today as I explored 1 Peter 4. When I reached verse 11, I was completely blown away! It’s like a light bulb turned on, reminding me of the incredible standard we are called to live by as believers.

In 1 Peter 4, the apostle Peter beautifully illustrates what it truly means to follow Christ and live for God. However, it's the first part of verse 11 that really made me pause and reflect. It reads, "If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God."

Can we just take a moment to really think about what that means? It starts with "if anyone speaks" — and let’s be honest, we’re all speaking pretty much all the time! We chat with our spouses, have conversations with our kids, interact with colleagues, and even engage with customers throughout our day. In fact, studies have shown that the average adult speaks around 16,000 words in a single day! That’s a lot of talking!

Now, here’s where it gets really interesting. The second part of that scripture challenges us with, "they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God." Wow! That's a tall order, isn’t it? I have to admit, I feel utterly unworthy to even attempt to fulfill such an instruction. But what if we took a moment to seriously consider this? Instead of speaking mindlessly, how about we pause for just a second before our words tumble out?

One of the first things that came to my mind was the idea of gossip. God would absolutely not engage in gossip, and if I want to speak His words, I need to be mindful of my conversations. But then I shifted my thoughts to how I communicate with my daughter. Are my words building her up or unintentionally tearing her down? When I need to correct her, am I doing it with love and grace, or do I let my temper take over, disregarding the impact my words have before they even leave my mouth?

Let’s take this further: how do I interact with others in everyday situations? For instance, when I speak to the lady at the cash register at Dollar General, do my words convey the love and grace of God? When I talk to the mechanic changing my car's oil, do my words reflect Christ in any way? It’s a thought-provoking idea to consider what our conversations reveal about us and our faith.

As followers of Christ, we are called not only to listen to His Word but also to actively live it out in our daily lives. We’re meant to reflect His love, kindness, and wisdom in every encounter. So here’s a little challenge for you, and I’m taking this on myself too: for the rest of this week, let’s commit to becoming doers of the Word of God. When we speak, let’s pause for a moment and ask ourselves, “Could the words I am about to say sound like they are coming from God Himself?” If the answer is no, then maybe it’s time to rethink our response.

Imagine the impact we could have if we spoke with intention and purpose, echoing the heart of God in our words! Let’s lift each other up and spread kindness and love in our conversations. After all, there is power of life and death in the tongue, and our words have the power to encourage and heal.