Wisdom In Words

Acts 4:23-31

O Lord, hear their threats, and give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching your word. (Acts 4:29)

PETER AND JOHN HAD DRAWN the attention of the authorities and been threatened with another imprisonment. But instead of cowering in fear or going underground with their message, they and other believers in Jerusalem prayed for more boldness. They asked for an increase of the very things that had gotten them in trouble—signs and wonders that inevitably draw crowds. They were living in a moment of advance, and they knew it.

Jesus had told them not so long before to be as wise as serpents in their words and conduct, and to be careful about being lambs among wolves (Matthew 10:16; Luke 10:3). But these disciples understood the season, and they did not want to quench the Holy Spirit’s miraculous works among them. There would be times in the future when giving an answer for their hope could be done more tactfully (1 Peter 3:15-16). But now was not the time. The Spirit was making waves and upsetting the status quo. Peter and John wanted to be a part of what he was doing.

You will need to use the same kind of wisdom in your demonstration of the power of God within you. There will be times when you need boldness because the moment is right for making waves and upsetting the status quo. There will be other times when a somewhat covert testimony is more effective—when you build relationships and let your life do the talking over time, adding words when the moment is ripe for them. While many Christians err on one side or the other—being a loudmouth when subtlety is needed, or being so quiet that no message is ever shared—we are called to discern the times, step into them with wisdom, and follow the Spirit’s leading.

Learn to go with the flow. Adjust your lifestyle to the movements of the Spirit. Don’t just blather an evangelistic message without being sensitive to the needs and the openness of those around you. Live a Kingdom message, and include words when they fit. Be bold . . . and subtle . . . and always in sync with God.

{Holy Spirit, give me great discernment for each moment. Fill me with boldness when boldness is needed, with tact when tact is needed, and with insight always. Let me move with you. Amen.