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Consecrate my speech, Christ,/Lord of the seven heavens!/May the gift of exactitude be granted me,/King of the bright sun.
- Oengus mac Oengobann, Feilire Oengusso (Irish, 9th century)
Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.
- Colossians 4.6
Oengus is beginning his celebration of the saints, and he seeks the Lord for "the gift of exactitude" in what he is about to write. I'm reminded in this of J. S. Bach's annotating the beginning of his compositions with "JJ" - "Jesus, help!" Here is surely good counsel for us as we begin each day.
Commit your speech to the Lord first thing in the morning, thinking about the day ahead and the people you are likely to meet. Pray for grace, so that your words might minister to the people with whom you converse. Pray for clarity, and especially pray to be alert to opportunities for talking about the Lord.
It's just too easy for our words to get away from us and degenerate into banalities and trivial pursuits. Yet the gift of speech is just that, a gift of God which He intends us to use as stewards for His glory. I'm always surprised at how many passages of Scripture speak about the tongue and how we should use it. It is clear God has a high regard for - and high expectations of - this gift; after all, He gave us a comprehensive user's manual!
"Seasoned with salt" - I like that expression. Salt resists corruption and decay. Salt adds savor and makes people thirsty. Salt represents God's Covenant and all the precious and very great promises He includes there. What if our speech each day - whether spoken or written - could reflect those attributes and accomplish those results? Surely then we would see the power of God's Spirit at work in our words to advance the gracious Kingdom of Jesus.
Don't waste your words. Invest them. They are gifts of God, and He is looking for us to use them for His glory.
Today, how will you consecrate your tongue to the Lord?
T. M. Moore, Principal
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