Love… Is NOT Big Talk
When they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh…
2 Peter 2:18 (NKJV)
This is what the Lord of armies says: “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who are prophesying to you. They are leading you into futility; They tell a vision of their own imagination, not from the Mouth of the Lord.”
Jeremiah 23:16 (NASB)
If spiders could speak, they would be con men: spinners of words into glistening lines. Their unsuspecting, naive audience, enchanted by the schemer’s lovely speech, gets stuck... to disastrous consequences.
Therein, spiders are cunning predators, and they make their feast on gullible prey.
The world of men is not so different. Big talkers often command big power. By persuasively presenting their views, people are compelled to their purposes: sometimes for better, more often for worse.
The Son of God, a.k.a. The Word, is the Utmost Champion Orator. During His mission as a Man on Earth, lofty men challenged Him with their own lines. In time, they learned they couldn’t outwit Him.
Other great men were amazing speakers, too: like Lincoln or Martin Luther King, Jr. Inspired by God, their words led listeners in the right, most positive direction.
On the other side was Adolph Hitler. This incredibly persuasive Führer released the fury of hell through his lips.
Our take-home lessons?
If you're an actor or influencer with a gift of speech that draws people in, guard yourself against easy temptations of personal profit from a talent that comes from God, its actual Owner. (He gave you that gift to glorify HIM, to find and save His lost and wayward sheep.)
If you're a listener to great talkers, check and see if they're also great walkers: kind, humble leaders whose largest asset… is the size of their heart (and not their mouth). God says, ‘Test all things; hold fast what is good’ (1 Thessalonians 5:21). (Don’t be a silly sheep and bite their bate.)
Actors, models, and talent for Christ:
I’ve studied rich people, celebrities, politicians, and industry moguls. Over these decades, I’m sad to report that big talkers are most often salesmen, and what they’re selling profits them– not us! Even worse are pastors, who do the same.
On the other hand… to rise in the fields of media, YOU must become professional speakers: God’s rising stars who have His way with words.
But off stage, speak simply and from the heart.
Love… Is NOT Big Talk (Part 7)
NOTE: God is my Ghostwriter. If what I write is good, it’s from God! We’re all called to be actors (action stars) for Jesus. We’re all called to models of Jesus, and we all have gifts, talents, and a commission to multiply them in the world for His glory.
P.S. NO DEVOTION, PREACHER, or SERMON… can begin to replace personal time in the Bible. I wholeheartedly and clear-headedly recommend DAILY BIBLE READING.
WARNING: Don’t focus on your favorite verses, because taken out of context, they’re often misinterpreted. I plead with you to READ AT LEAST 1 BIBLE CHAPTER DAILY. How long does it take? An average of 5 to 10 minutes!