“Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them.” (Matthew 5:1 NIV)”
Logorrhea, “L-O-G-O-R-R-H-E-A,” logorrhea. You are already saying, “What is he talking about,” right?
Well, today’s title got somebody’s attention, including yours! With all the new viruses and communicable diseases, you wanted to make sure that you are informed and guarded from any new infection. Relax! I just heard this word, “Logorrhea,” for the first time when I was watching the end of a spelling competition portrayed in an entertaining movie entitled “Akeelah and the Bee,” starring Keke Palmer, Laurence Fishburne, Angela Bassett, and other notable actors.
“Logorrhea,” a word originating in Greek, has many definitions, some not as flattering as others. However, the definition that stood out for me and sent me into a God-conscious direction was “excessive talking and wordiness.” I stayed away from the definitions that pointed to a psychological disorder, the pathological inability to stop talking, and persistent, incoherent talkativeness. My God-conscious tangent took me to the times that I have heard people have the audacity to admonish a preacher, including yours truly, not to speak too long; not to be long-winded. Sometimes I have even been told that my meditations are too long and those who receive my sermon manuscripts refer to them, laughingly, as dissertations.
Where am I going with all this? Am I just being talkative? No, I’m not. I just want to challenge you to be willing to have open ears when the Lord speaks to you through the preached word, the taught word, or even the expository preaching of God’s word. Sometimes the Lord has a lot to say, and it may come across as repetitiveness, but that is because the Lord wants you to get the message He specifically sent to you. Even when you are assigned a long passage to read for Bible Study, Sunday School, or in your formal study of theology, don’t be distracted by the negative meanings of the word “logorrhea.” Stay positive! Read on! Listen up! Develop an ear to hear what saith the Lord! Stop counting the minutes and mindfully listen when God sends you a specific message. Now a little homework. To test your willingness to hear the word of God, which is always profitable, I challenge you to start with today’s opening verse that serves as an introduction to the Sermon on the Mount and read it to its conclusion in Matthew 7…in one setting.
One more thing, before I close. Yes, I’m still talking! Let me encourage you not to hold back when the Spirit moves you to share the good news with someone else. Don’t think you are being one of whom the word “logorrhea” can be applied to when God has put it on your heart to share your testimony. Follow the words in the closing verse. Be a witness for the Lord! Talk God! Talk Jesus! Talk about revealed power! Talk about redemption!
Think on what I have just written in less than 555 words, just for a little while. Have a great Thursday! Be blessed!
“…Don’t be afraid! Speak out! Don’t be silent!” (Acts 18:9b NLT)
Still committed to the climb,
Mark L. King