Mark 4:34 He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything.

Jesus is our example in everything, even in things that don’t necessarily seem “spiritual.” Here, He is demonstrating that we always need to consider our audience. After all, He is the One who said the famous phrase, “pearls before swine.” (Matthew 7:6) People have to be ready to hear what we are telling them. Being too worried about it can keep you from speaking at all, and that’s not a good thing, but sometimes what we say is just wasting time or even being counter-productive, hardening people against the truth. That’s not to say we are never to say things people don’t want to hear. Jesus did plenty of that! However, His motivation was always love. We are to aim for that, but often, our motives are far less pure, wanting to “score points” or seem erudite or whatever. Just as Jesus did, if the time and the audience is right, we aren’t to hold back. A huge percentage of relationship problems come from a lack of communication; we need to be willing to talk. Sometimes the words may seem painful to us, and sometimes painful to our hearers, but they still need to be said. However, just as it was with Jesus, the motivation needs to be love, both love for ourselves and love for our hearers. Even when Jesus was chewing out the Pharisees, in Matthew 23 and elsewhere, it was because He wanted them to repent and turn to God in truth, rather than in hypocrisy. The more we communicate with our heavenly Father by His Spirit, the more His love will flow through us to those around us in all that we say and do.

This is extremely close to home for me. As my father noted over 60 years ago, I have a gift for words, but I must use them in love. My wife and I got engaged just over 57 years ago, and I couldn’t begin to calculate how many words have passed between us in that time, but I still comment from time to time, “Communication is wonderful when it happens.” All sorts of things can interfere with accurate and beneficial communication, and I’ve got to be on my guard at all times. I need to recognize God’s timing for saying things, and follow it. Sometimes He surprises me! As someone with Teacher gifting, it can be hard to get me to shut up, and I need to be careful about that. Boring people isn’t the way to get them to accept truth! I need to be careful about the accuracy of what I say, but as I’ve already said, the most important factor is love. I need to love my hearers enough to be a fully useful mouthpiece for my Lord.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Yesterday was a rather painful reminder of my own frailty on some levels. Help me keep remembering that You are the only one who can handle everything, and that You will do it through me if I will allow You to do so. Thank You for bringing to mind the hymn, Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus. Help me indeed trust You fully and obey You completely, so that Your words and actions may be manifested through me, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!