Learning to Speak

Learning to Speak

The teacher sought to find just the right words,

and what he wrote was upright and true”

Ecclesiastes 12:10

The past few months have been filled with a special anticipation as we’ve waited day by day to see what new words our 18-month-old granddaughter Hope would say each time we saw her. Words like grandma, church, and uncle would bring a smile and a joy that far exceeded what could ever be expected. From two letter words like pa to trying longer and longer words seemingly every day, the process of learning to speak is incredible and a wonder to behold. And as family members, we do our best to encourage and reward every new word and Hope’s every attempt at expanding her vocabulary. And words strung together, her beginning to speak in sentences; we still have a whole lot more to look forward to as she continues to grow.

But there is also the other end of the spectrum, and that is the much more difficult task of learning not to speak. From students in English class to adults with a story they would love to share with others, learning to hold our tongue, to refrain from saying anything, to keep our mouths closed tight, even biting our tongue when necessary, it not always an easy thing to do. Job’s friends didn’t say a word to him for a whole week in the face of someone going through incredible suffering. If only they could have kept from talking a little longer, how much better off Job would have been. And we all know from experience what it means to stick our foot in our mouth, having said the wrong thing at the wrong time to the wrong person. In fact, learning when not to speak just might be harder than learning to speak.

There’s also knowing what to say and saying the right thing. Our words have incredible power, “life and death are in the power of our words” as Proverbs says. That’s why, in the verse above, we’re told that Solomon “sought to find just the right words.” It is a lifelong quest to find just the right words to say to someone going through pain and difficulty, someone who may have lost a loved one or experienced a setback in life where mere words never seem to do the situation justice. Just as the wrong words can bring so much pain and cause such division, the right words can minister healing, comfort, and hope in a way that nothing else can. Our search for acceptable, purposeful words is one that can really make a difference.

Learning first to speak and then learning when not to speak, we come full circle in some ways. Learning to speak and then learning what to speak, the process continues on throughout our lives. David’s prayer in Psalm 19:14 still fits today; “May the words of my mouth be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.”

God Bless,

Pastor Joe

Gateway Church