Talking With Your Mouth Full

“But they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke.”

Acts 6:10

 

 

Who can stand up against the wisdom the Spirit of God gives?

Well, the easy answer is no one can.

But look at the last three words of Acts 6:10.

They are “…as he spoke.”

There was certainly a part the Holy Spirit played but there was, and is, a part for us as well.

Now, more often than not, wisdom demands we remain silent.

Jesus demonstrated this for us in His life when questioned by the High Priest.

When He did speak, after his first silence, He spoke the Truth in power.

But when it is time to speak be sure your words are spoken in truth and in power.

Don’t speak only out of your emotions.

That is when the flood of words can get you into trouble or dig a deeper hole than you may already be in.

But our scripture today reveals a different picture.

Stephen was being confronted by the religious leaders of his day.

They did not like what he was saying.

Stephen was not speaking out of emotion, anger or any need to ‘get even’.

An earlier verse tells us he was “…a man full of God’s grace and power.”

As he opened his mouth to speak God filled it with wise words.

Words they could not refute.

Eventually, they took up stones to kill him.

But the truth is, his words endured.

They are recorded for you and I to read today.

There is a time to speak.

There is a time to confront.

But, like Stephen, before you or I open our mouths, may we be full of God’s grace and power.

Then what flows out will be Holy Spirit inspired words.