Making a Differencewith Pastor Phil Erickson

Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth. (Job 40:4)

Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.(Job 42:3)

Have you ever made the statement, “I’d better keep my mouth shut”?  Have you ever told your child the same thing?  We can really get ourselves in trouble with our mouths, can’t we?  Sometimes it’s better not to say anything.  I remember when I was a brand new Christian.  I was having a discussion with Pastor Thompson about reaching the people around me for the Lord.  He said something that I never forgot: he said that if you don’t have an answer to their questions, or even their arguments, tell them that you don’t know the answer. His exact words were, “Don’t snow them”. What he meant was that we shouldn’t try to offer something on behalf of God that isn’t what God said. We shouldn’t offer what we feel or think about God; but only tell people what we know to be true. These friends of Job (and Job himself) were doing a lot of talking about God: each offering their own opinion about the situation; but how much of what they said was actually true.

The Bible says that we are God’s ambassadors. We represent God to this world around us. We speak on his behalf. Shouldn’t we be very careful about what we say?  I wonder what God will have to say about me someday, especially the things that I have taught others about Him. Preachers and teachers have an awesome responsibility. Therefore we need to make sure that we are daily spending time with God in His word so that we can know how He thinks; and know what He teaches about any given subject.  And then when we are given the opportunity to speak on His behalf, whenever possible, we should tell people what God actually said, instead of what our opinion is. As God’s ambassadors we have no right to represent ourselves, or present ourselves, or try to make ourselves look good in the eyes of the people. We need to make God look good; and we need to give people the actual Words of God.

In God’s rebuke of Job, He said, “will thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous”?  What God was saying was that Job said things to justify himself; to make himself look good.  How often do I do that.  I am so afraid of the opinion of men that I have often condemned others in order to elevate myself.  Shame on me! and shame on all of us.  The Bible is very plain in its teaching that we don’t have to say too much, and that it is wise to hold our peace at times; and then when we do speak, we should be very careful about what we say.