Learning to Speak God from ScratchSample

First Believe, Then Do This

A quote often attributed to St. Francis of Assisi goes something like this: “Preach the gospel at all times; if necessary use words.” 

Whoever said it, the phrase is meant to convey that Christianity is best seen as a lived practice and example, rather than a lecture. It means that Christianity is made credible by works of love, compassion, service. What are words without action? 

The apostle Paul might ask a different question: What are words without belief? 

In 2 Corinthians 4, Paul offers a two-part understanding of the job of Christ’s followers: We believe and therefore speak. Paul is not talking about any kind of speech. He’s not referring to meaningless prattle or empty chitchat. 

He’s talking about spiritual speech. He’s talking about what I call “speaking God.” And that’s where things can get tricky for even the most talkative among us. 

Because words usher in every transformative moment in Biblical history.

Words allow us to whisper encouragement over the God-loved downtrodden. We use them to pray and to preach and to praise. Words pique interest, stir spirits, create converts. When we stop speaking God, the future of the Christian religion itself hangs in the balance. 

So we must learn to speak God from scratch so that new life will be breathed into our spiritual conversations and we might embrace the God who inhabits them.

What is one sacred word you want to learn to speak from scratch?