Pastor's Corner: Your tongue is your pen

There’s an interesting Bible verse in Psalm 45:1. It reads, “My tongue is the pen of a ready writer.” How can a tongue be a pen? Possibly in several ways; here are a few ideas:

First, much of ancient history was preserved through story-telling before people began to write down their experiences. Even after writing became common, much of history still depended on preserving oral communications. For example, picture two soldiers, Fred and Ralph, in a trench on the frontlines in World War II. Fred has been seriously wounded and he pleads with Ralph: “If I don’t make it and you do, promise me you’ll tell my wife I love her and I consider it an honor to have served my country.” When Ralph returns home, he may call Fred’s wife to deliver the message. Or he may send her a letter. Perhaps he’ll even publish a book about his experiences, and Fred’s dying words will be included. Without the initial oral communication, though, Fred’s wife doesn’t know he was thinking of her at the end, nor does Ralph’s book include that poignant event.

Second, the words we speak are very powerful. Proverbs 18:21 says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” We take this verse seriously in our fellowship, which is why we strive to speak to one another with positive, encouraging, uplifting, edifying, life-giving words. That doesn’t mean we practice denial or avoid confronting problems when they arise. But in the process of problem-solving we want to “speak the truth in love,” and speak words that edify and minister grace to the hearer (see Ephesians 4:15 and 4:29). 

Not only is it important to speak to one another positively, but it is also imperative to speak to ourselves in a similar way, whether we say the comments out loud or hear the thoughts in our heads. Proverbs 23:7 says, “As he thinks within himself, so he is.” Our thoughts can turn into words and our words into actions and our actions into habits and so forth.

If I speak to myself in negative terms quite often, I may want to examine what is going on at a deeper level. Jesus said, “Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.”

Perhaps as a child I received a lot of negative messages, such as “you’ll never amount to anything,” or “you’re a loser.” Those messages may have taken root in my heart and now I am “eating the fruit” of those words. I can examine my heart, examine my thought patterns and learn to think differently about myself. I can read the Bible, find out what God really thinks of me and begin agreeing with His words. In Romans 1:7, for example, the Apostle Paul refers to believers as “beloved of God.”

Third, the stories we tell each other can help to build our faith. For example, if someone tells me that she prayed for a friend who was ill and the friend recovered, then perhaps my faith will grow and I will be more inclined to pray for someone who is ill. The testimony of what has happened in the past can help us be open to seeing more of the same in the future. This is one reason some folks like to keep a prayer journal where they record their prayers and the answers to those prayers. As theologian Walter Wink said, “History belongs to the intercessors.” We pray, God moves, things happen, history is written.

My final point is that I can use my tongue to help write the story of my life. My life becomes an open book that someone else can read. The Apostle Paul discussed a similar concept, but he used the term “epistle” instead:

  You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart (2 Corinthians 3:2-3).

So let me ask you a few questions:

1. What story are you writing?

2. Do you like the way the story is turning out so far?

3. If you want to make changes, what story would you like to write?

It seems to me that adventures and love stories are two of the most popular genres. With Jesus we can expect a lot of both. May the chapter you are writing this year be the best one yet!

Vicki Barrows

Abundant Life