WORD PEOPLE (Part 3)

(This is the 3rd and last part of the message: Word People, delivered at the OMF Lit's Book Dedication event one week prior to the MIBF.) 

  

“I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit . . .”  

Thirdly, let us be deliberately more cautious in living the life modeled by our Savior, Jesus—the Living WORD.  

It is so easy to say a hurtful word, to curse, and to belittle people.  That’s why a faith sister suggested one day to ask myself this question before I do anything or utter a word, “Would it honor God?” 

It was the same faith sister who admonished me, when I was a shop-a-holic in my foolish, younger years, “Ask yourself two questions as you caress a bag on sale. ‘Do I need this?’ If the answer is yes, ask yourself the second question, ‘Do I need this NOW?’” Nobody needs anything now unless he is at death’s door. 

“Would it honor God?” then has been simple enough to ask before opening my mouth, doing something, or writing. But often, I forget and backslide big time. Even if I have memorized this verse since I was five, 2 Timothy 2:15, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.” 

As a WORD person today, it’s time I put it to practice: do my best to present myself to God as one approved. Meaning, I should deliberately be a role model for myself and my readers—especially for the little ones. 

The world is quickly morphing from white and black to all shades of gray—or even black is the new white, and white is the new black. It’s time we took sides: choose what The WORD says is right and pleasing to God. We need to find God-honoring ways in our wordsmithing to rebuke what is wrong and resist the temptation to stay mute, saying nothing while the world introduces new blacks in the guise of whites.  

Isaiah 5: 20-21 (TLB) “They say that what is right is wrong and what is wrong is right; that black is white and white is black; bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter. Woe to those who are wise and shrewd in their own eyes!”   

Now is the time for us WORD people in this room to be so prepared for the Manila International Book Fair. Jointly, we will minister to a huge crowd of various demographics and market our ONE commodity we labored over for many months:   The WORD and the Living WORD, through our titles.  

We will encourage everyone who visits Aisle I to read our books about The WORD, the One and only commodity that is our life—patterned after the life of Jesus, the Living WORD.  

Tough. But doable.  

WORD people, let’s turn to The WORD.  

Photos taken at the event: