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A short response to someone asking for advice in giving
his first talk to a body of believers
Sorry to get back to you so late. You can't believe how
busy it's been this last week.
Wow, I'm excited that you get the opportunity and privilege
to share God's word with the body there.
I've had a chance to read your devotional a couple of times
and thinks it's quite a good reminder to us to be very proactive
in that highest of activities - listening to God's "voice"
and heartbeat through his word.
I don't think you have to do much to it except internalize
it, live it, and offer it to God.
A couple of thoughts I have include:
1. For those who have a hard time listening in this way,
it may do well to remind them that no one can just all of
a sudden decide to do something well that they haven't done
before and do it - it takes training, persevering, and building
up to it. Success in anything is a result of blood, sweat,
and tears, as it were. They can start today in the right direction,
and with prayerful perseverance, they will see improvement
over time and can look forward to getting better and better
at listening, meditating, and applying so long as God grants
them life.
2. I know I'm splitting straws w/respect to terminology
but I prefer saying that we need to apply our lives around
God's word instead of applying His word to our lives, just
for the simple fact that it is His word that is the unchanging
core, not our lives. Thus, we need to adjust our lives any
way possible in order to have them conform to His word and
all its nooks and crannies and nuances. It's not our lives
that is the given and then we try to apply God's word around
it.
3. Before you speak, offer your heart and motives to Him,
asking Him to use this time any way He sees fit for His glory,
even if it's in making you look stupid up there to teach them
a lesson. I pray that prayer often before I speak, always
nervous that He may do indeed just that. But if it brings
Him glory to do it that way, then so be it.
Anyway, we'll be praying for you and look forward to hearing
about it.
Blessings,
Arthur
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