The Stewardship of Speech

Words are powerful—for good or ill.  “Death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21).  And further, “No one can tame the tongue” (James 3:8).  We need help.

So in our digital age, we do well to pause and pray before blurting out words of attack or self-defense.  “Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger” (James 1:19).  Let’s extrapolate and say:  “Be quick to get the whole story,” and “Be slow to tweet.”

In A Way with Words:  Using Our Online Conversations for Good, Daniel Darling challenges Christians about how we inter­act online.  “Social media was made to bring us together.  But few things have driven us further apart” (back cover).  We need to ask how we can honor Jesus and spread truth-with-love in all of our digital spaces.

Turning to 1 Peter 3:15, “Always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,” Darling adds, “It’s not just important that we be right, but that we have the right tone” (p. 67).  Remember:  that annoying online activist is someone made in God’s image, and someone loved by Christ (John 3:16).

You have a platform; God gave you a voice so that you’d use it.  And there’s a certain audience that’s listening to you.  So think: how can you be a good steward of your God-given voice (pp. 77-78)?  How can you speak up so as to draw attention to Jesus and his beautiful gospel?  How can you practice the speech rule of Ephesians 4:29:  only say what “is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear”?

Here’s another caution about social media, a penetrating insight (and confession)—see if it’s true for you too:  “I have noticed a correlation in my own life between frivolous time online and prayerlessness” (p. 24).  Are you pouring your time, energy, focus, and heart into things that matter most deeply, or into trivia?