- Not with lofty speech or wisdom. Not using big words to impress. Not pontificating about what you know. Not showing off.
- Knowing nothing but Christ and Him crucified. Talk about Christ. Talk about what He has taught you, not what you learned. Put the emphasis on Him, not yourself. Even if you relate experiences that He used to teach you, talk about Him, not yourself. Emphasize the crucifixion, the work of Christ on the cross to pay the penalty for your sins.
- In weakness, in fear and in much trembling. Not bragging about it, but in humility. Not boasting about what God is teaching you. Not in fear of what others will think (or not think) about you. In fear of God. In fear of making yourself look great and not God. In fear of lying, exaggerating, blame shifting, or any other number of sins. In fear of leading others astray.
- Not in plausible words of wisdom. Not building your argument like a lawyer in a court room to persuade. Not in great debates.
- But in demonstration of the Spirit and power. Led by His Spirit. Not when you want to, but when He wants you to. Not talking about yourself, but about Christ. Not in your own strength, but in His.
Paul's reason for this type of communication was "that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God." The hearers shouldn't be wowed with your communication skills, but wowed with power of God. You don't want them to put their trust in you. "Pastor said..." or "I have always been taught..." are words that show they have put their trust in someone other than God. Make sure that your conversation is pointing to Christ as revealed in the Word of God. Help them to understand that what you are teaching or sharing is not because of yourself, but because of what God says in His Word.
All this causes me to fear saying anything at all. I'd rather keep my mouth shut than open it and say something wrong. May God give me boldness and wisdom to speak when I should and to be quiet when I should.
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