“If you don’t have something nice to say then don’t say anything at all.” This phrase is said by every parent at some point in their parenting. We use this phrase because we know the power of words.
God knew the power of words. God speaks and things happen. He speaks the words ‘Let there be;’ and light, darkness, land, water, day, night, animals, and plants were created. He speaks the words ‘Be fruitful and multiply;’ and every day we see fruit from this command as life is conceived and formed!
God speaks and things happen. God’s word is the word with power. His word is not just the power to create, but the power to give hope, to build up, to give grace and love.
God’s word takes on human flesh and blood in the person of Jesus; ‘the Word made flesh’ John 1:14. He is the Word that is full of grace and truth. Jesus is the Word for you and me. He is the Word that inspires. He is the Word that gives grace. He is the Word that gives hope, love, and life.
The last year and half my father struggled with cancer. He had been diagnosed with cancer in his jaw bone. He went through surgery and radiation and thought he had beaten it.
Then this last February he was told the cancer was back. This time too near his carotid artery to do surgery and in the same radiation field as the last time, so that kind of treatment was off the table. Our only option seemed to be chemotherapy.
We quickly realized the chemo was not having an effect and the cancer was continuing to grow. As he struggled with this diagnosis, he stood firm in his faith that God was in control and loved him.
As the cancer progressed, he also developed an infection that led him to be put in hospice care. He was in hospice care for about a month before he fell asleep in the Lord.
As he struggled with the cancer, his pastor visited along with other church friends and leaders. They reassured him and my mom of the promises that God made to my dad in his Baptism. They spoke those words of life and hope to my family in a time that was full of despair and darkness.
I knew the promises of God and I had spoken those promises to people before, and yet when I struggled with the cancer and the fact that my dad was dying, I needed to hear those promises spoken again.
As we go through the mess of life, we need the Word of life and hope spoken into our lives. As we struggle in the darkness, we need the Word of light to be shared with us over and over.
That Word is Jesus. When Jesus is spoken into the mess and darkness of life; hope and love, truth and grace, compassion and life are given.
A better phrase to tell our children might be, “Don’t say a word unless it points back to Jesus.” To share Jesus is to share The Word!
Pastors’ wives, widows and Deacons’ wives are encouraged to attend the 2015 Katie Conference in Bay City, Mich. Check out the theme song chosen by the conference committee, “Words” by Hawk Nelson at http://youtu.be/anVweXDcxhA.
More conference information can be found at https://michdistrict.wpengine.com/events/katie-conference-2015.
