According to what God says

Balaam said to him, “Look, I have come to you, but can I say anything I want? I must speak only the message God puts in my mouth.” (Numbers 22:38)

As someone who gives messages on Sundays at my church, I was really struck by those words.

I’m not at liberty to simply say whatever I want. I need to speak the message God puts in my mouth.

But the same is true for all Christians. There are times we receive a lot of pressure from those around us to say what they want to hear.

As Paul put it,

For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, will multiply teachers for themselves because they have an itch to hear what they want to hear. (2 Timothy 4:3)

Our Lord received that same sort of pressure all the time. But he always spoke according to his Father’s Word. (John 7:16-17)

And unlike Balaam, he always sought to honor his Father. (John 7:18)

May we always follow our Lord’s example, speaking to people in grace and truth.