More Harm Than Good

August 16, 2018 | By Chuck

As I look back several years to my early days as a young minister, I'm forced to accept a harsh truth. That truth, that is so difficult to acknowledge and accept, is that as young minister there were times when I did more harm than good. As a rookie minister I didn't understand that there are times when it's best not to say anything. I believed then that whatever season in life a church member was in always called for wise words from their preacher, me. The problem with that is that my words weren't always wise, needed or expected. I'm sure that I did more harm than good at those times. Fortunately, I've learned over the years that there are times when there are no adequate words. I remember as a young preacher being so excited and fired up about preaching and teaching that I often didn't consider how my words would affect my audience. I knew that my teaching was Biblical, so why would it matter how it was received by the audience. At least that's what I thought back then. I've since learned that without an audience I will not be preaching and teaching. Have I become soft in my older years? Am my advocating watering down the truth of Scripture for the sake of pleasing the audience? You know, the itching ears scenario (II Tim.4:3). I will tell you emphatically and plainly, NO! No, I haven't become soft in my preaching. God has matured me and given me wisdom through many experiences over the years. No, I'm absolutely not for watering down the truth of God's Word. Instead, I'm for preaching the truth of God's Word in love. It matters how you say it, because if you come across as judgmental and critical you'll lose your audience. Then what? It doesn't matter that you are teaching the truth of God's Word if you don't have an audience. We preach and teach God's Word to move and motivate people. But, if there is no audience then how can we motivate anyone spiritually? If we turn people away from God by our words or methods of teaching the Bible, then we have done more harm than good. I encourage us all to know the Scriptures, know our audience and know how to teach the truth of God's Word in love. "Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person"(Col.4:6).