For extremely obvious reasons the Lord has really been putting on my heart the power of words. It has not been the brute force of big words that would help my GRE scores, but the value of using simple words. Because of this my vocabulary is shrinking, but I have realized that the ideas I want to communicate are still present in simplicity.
For less obvious reasons, my heart has been drawn to read 1 Corinthians and, surprisingly enough, Paul introduces this letter with the importance of speech:
1 Corinthians 1:17 – For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.
1 Corinthians 2: 1-5 – And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
I have spent the past week or so in China slowing down my speech as well as exponentially diminishing my vocabulary in order to communicate to the people. I have used the word “advice” to utilize in at least four different ideas to the Chinese, yet I understand that this diminishing makes the Gospel so much more accessible to those who do not share the same tongue.
Eloquence is highly valued among the richest and smartest in the world, but Christ came in simple humility to make salvation a gift for everyone. In my new, limited vocabulary I have been able to share the Gospel knowing that it is only the Holy Spirit who is able to accurately translate what I believe to others, and I am so thankful for that.
In addition, I have realized that, even with a small range of words, I can help others. One of our ministry contacts in Harbin is a new Christian, and she has been relentlessly pursuing relationships with us in order to practice her English. It has never been so easy to talk about Jesus or my testimony when she is literally nagging me to tell her about my life! The Lord placed a person to disciple in our team’s lap, now all we have to do is be obedient!
