Representing God With Our Words (REPRESENTATIVES part one)

This is the beginning of a blog series that I’m super excited to share with you all! Over the next several weeks, I’ll be discussing different ways that those around us can see that we are truly Jesus’ disciples—what it really looks like to represent God as His followers…

Because claiming the title of “Christian” comes with quite the responsibility. 

There are going to be people in your life who will never know God outside of what you show them. What will they see? Will they see someone who is loving and genuine, or someone who lives like the rest of the world yet is 1000x more condemning?

In Matthew 5:14, Jesus says that we are the light of the world. Verse 16 goes on to tell us we are to “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

This statement is so profound. Regardless of how we act or what we choose to say and do, if we claim the title “Christ follower”, we are instantly put on display. We are a light, and now we have to decide how we shine it. 

It’s my life’s number one desire that when people see me, they see Jesus. And if I know + experience Jesus for who He really is, I won’t be able to help but represent His love and compassion to those around me! 

Today’s post is about using your words with intentionality in a way that is God honoring and kind. I can’t wait to share it with you (:

When online communication became available across the board, everything changed for everyone. All of a sudden, people could talk whenever they wanted to. Over phone, email, text, social media, etc.. The opportunities became endless. 

I’m happy to live in a time where we can do this— if online communication wasn’t available, I wouldn’t be able to blog and connect with you all!

But with this availability— and dare I say pressure?— to constantly throw our opinions and words out into the open without taking much time to think about what we’re saying, things become dangerous. 

This is something that I’ve been thinking a lot about lately. We can be so quick to think something and then say it. I know that especially about myself, since I love to talk, am very opinionated, and spend hours every week sharing my heart through writing. That makes it incredibly easy for me to just throw my thoughts out there whenever I feel the need or want.

Just last week on my birthday, I felt like God wanted me to focus on James 1:19 this next year of my life. It says, “…But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger;”. 

All through Scripture, we see why it’s so important to be extremely careful about what we say, and a few of those verses are…

• “The one who guards his mouth preserves his life; the one who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.” (Proverbs 13:3)
• “But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matthew 12:36-37)
• “The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.” (Proverbs 15:28)

I felt like as a Christian writer, I’m always expected to say things. After all, if I spend hours every week writing, surely I’ve got something to say! I talk to so many people on a regular basis, and even tend to talk to myself. With that said… I recently realized a lot comes out of my mouth every day. 

So the next few times I said something without thinking, I started to ask myself… Would I say this if Jesus were standing next to me? Would I want someone saying this about me? Would Jesus even say this? 

I was startled at how many times I found myself saying no.

Verses like Ephesians 5:4 warn us against filthy talk + crude joking, and Ephesians 4:29 reminds us to let no corrupt speech come out from our mouths. In Colossians 4:6, we are told to let our speech always be with grace. 

You see, Jesus was the exact representation of His Father (Hebrews 1:3) to a world that had no idea what God was like. We, as followers of Jesus, are called to show the world who we represent— God.

There is so much power in our words. They affect relationships, decisions, emotions, and more, so it’s only logical that there is both a good and a bad way to use them. 

God desires for us to use our words in a way that will bring glory to Him, and hope to those who hear us. After all, if the lost don’t see Jesus through us… who will they see Him through? 

This week, I challenge you to be intentional about how you use your words. Think before you speak. Ask yourself if God would be accurately represented by what would come out of your mouth. 

And you know what? There are times when it’s okay to say nothing… even wise to do just that (Proverbs 17:28). Your words, or lack of them, could be the very thing that draws someone to Jesus; because when they see that you’re different—in a good way—they’ll be drawn to that.

What are your thoughts on this blog post? Are you excited about the blog series? Will you join me in this rebellion against thoughtless words? As always, I love chatting with you all in the comments! <  3