Useful words
So let’s unpack what a useful Christian life means, as Paul explains it in 2 Timothy 2. Firstly, if you want to live a useful Christian life, fill your life with useful words.
Paul spends most of this chapter warning Timothy about words! Have a look at these verses:
- “Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen” (2 Timothy 2:14 NIV11)
- “Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly” (2 Timothy 2:16 NIV11)
- “Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels.” (2 Timothy 2:23 NIV11)
- “And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.” (2 Timothy 2:24 NIV11)
The words that you take in, and the words that you speak, have power, Paul says, and can be useful or useless.
Words Shape Life
The world says “It’s only words!” to quote an old Bee Gees song. But it’s not only words is it? The words that fill your life will have a huge impact on your usefulness.
If your life is filled with godless chatter, with foolish and stupid arguments, with quarrels or fights, how is that going to be of any use as a Christ-follower?
In fact I once wrote a song called “I Know”. I was struggling with all these voices competing for my attention, news pundits, social commentators, entertainment, books, music, messages, all with their own angle on things, and it got overwhelming to me, WORDS WORDS WORDS, and a lot of them godless and foolish. So the song goes “So many voices in my head telling me just what to do, but when I hear Your voice instead I find a life that’s true.” When God’s Word is the loudest voice, the most prominent voice, the leading voice, I begin to live a useful Christian life.
So which voice is louder in your head? Your angry words about the state of things, or God’s Word calling you to trust and obey? The words of TV shows, YouTubers, TikTok/Instagram accounts, or God’s Word calling you to love and holiness? Our culture’s shouts to normalise the things that dishonour God, or God’s Word which says stand up against evil and put God on the throne?
It’s not only words. Words shape our thinking in a powerful, powerful way, and if God’s Word isn’t central, we drift from God into the ways of the world around us, and we cease to be useful to God.
Guard Your Words
Paul mentioned a few people who did that, in this passage: “Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have departed from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some.” (2 Timothy 2:16–18 NIV)
Keep indulging in the godless words of the world, and it subtly draws you away from the Word of Truth. And not only that, you may draw others away with you, and destroy their faith, like these two people did.
Be careful of the words that fill your life! Choose them wisely, so that you may be useful, and not damaging, in this world God has made.
