I recently heard a teaching that sparked a continuation of a discussion I’ve been having with God. A friend, Pastor Mark Dahle, gave a great talk recently, “If You Want To Do Something, You Have To Start”. You can check it out on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmwReWHDYxE
Along with going through the gift of prophesy (encouraging, building up and consoling others) which I really believe is huge in the Body of Christ right now – he also touched on the gift of Tongues. Though all of Mark’s talk was very helpful, the tongues portion of the talk really caught my attention and got me started talking again with God about aspects of this that seem to be on His heart now for what He’s doing in regards to unity in the Body.
For many years I wanted the gift of speaking in tongues, but I didn’t like the “weird” aspect of it. I was too self-conscious about it feeling I could not do it right and was just too foolish in trying. In an effort to make myself more comfortable with it I attended groups regularly that were helpful in inviting others to learn speaking and interpreting tongues. They were friends and were not pushy about it at all, however, I still could not bring myself to engage it, even among friends I trusted. I kept holding the longing to be free to speak in tongues in my heart and one day - finally, while I was alone - I asked God for the gift and told him that I was dedicating my mouth to His use and that I would move forward in doing it believing that He would guide and direct me in the use of this for Him, no matter how I felt about it. That’s when I finally did begin speaking in tongues - in private in a room where no one else was and no one could overhear. I actually spoke initially in a language that sounded (to my ears) like a human language. I don’t know what language it was – sounded sort of Native American or an Asian form of some kind. I did this for about 30 minutes and it became ok for me privately. However, I did not use it again privately or publicly until a few months later when I was in a group of believers in Jesus who began spontaneously singing in the spirit together in worship. It was very natural and normal when that happened and I actually felt very free to engage in that moment of corporate worship. There were no people there checking to see if others were interpreting or worrying about anything but responding to God. It was a group of like-minded followers who were just enthralled spontaneously by God’s presence and responded with singing in other languages and with their own music as well. Each brought their own words, melodies and harmonies. I had never heard something like it before, though I have been in places where it has happened since. It so connects in a way appropriate to the awe inspiring glory of God. He is creative and honors creativity.
I speak in tongues from time to time. It’s not a badge of honor and it doesn’t make me a better Christian or person. It’s not a set routine thing, but happens usually spontaneously - mostly something done in private. I have heard many variations of the types of languages – some sound human, some not like any human language I know of. I like singing in tongues in my car when I worship. Sometimes when I’m in worship in a group I’m prompted to speak in tongues during the time others are singing. People can’t hear me, so I go for as long as I am prompted. Sometimes I speak in tongues under my breath silently while praying for someone. I have also interpreted tongues, where prompted, in settings where someone is speaking in a group. I have only once had the interpretation of my own words given to me. I am sensitive to those who are fearful of tongues.
I find something interesting in the bible about languages and where different ones began and why they began. From Genesis 11 it says, “Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. As people moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there…Then they said, ‘Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves’…The Lord said, ‘If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.’ So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city.”
So, people had their plans - to build a city with a tower that reached to the heavens in order to make a name for themselves. And God had His plans, from Genesis 1, “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” It looks as though men came into conflict with God in their goals. The unity that people had at the point where they began to go their way is something that God dismantled. He confused their language so that they could not understand one another and work together, but were scattered in accord with His original plan for them.
In the times we now live in, as I mentioned before, God is doing something very special regarding unity. Since people have already been scattered all over the earth, it is time to come into unity of purpose in God over the earth. It is a huge theme on God’s heart and something that has been drawing various very diverse parts of the Body of Christ together in amazing ways. He is also using languages to reach different people. Something not spoken of very frequently, but was used by God to reach hundreds of people on the day of Pentecost was the use of tongues to reach each person hearing in their own language about the mysteries of God that were being spoken by those under the influence of the Holy Spirit in Acts. This is another use of the gift of tongues - to reach others in their specific language through the Holy Spirit’s guidance and pouring out. This is reversing the confusing of languages to unity in God with His agenda. God’s people have to get over their fears of tongues in order to walk in this. God legitimately uses this to reach people with His truth. Heavenly personal language for building up our spirit is good and important, but, there is this additional practical use of tongues that God has in store for unifying nations in His truth. We have to see this and press in to God’s leading on it. Just sayin!
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