My Native Language

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not understood it (John 1:1-5).

My first language is English. I do not remember when I began learning it, and I cannot remember never knowing it.

English is the language of my heart and my dinner table, conversations whispered excitedly with best friends, comforting words murmured into the silky hair of my sweet babies, love notes from the love of my life.

Over the years, I have learned six other languages to varying degrees of fluency. I’m about to learn my eighth. I love languages and the insight they give into cultures and the human heart. I love the thrill of learning the heart language of the people with whom I live. I have grown so familiar with some languages that I dream in them, can make jokes in them, and use colloquialisms like a local.

But when I need comfort, when I need to retreat and refuel my soul, when I really want to express fully what matters most to me, I want my native language. 

We all have a native language, a first language spoken into us and over us from birth. It is this language that holds the most power over our hearts and lives. Language is power. Words build, and words destroy. But they are never impotent. 

We also all have a native spiritual language, one which every human on the globe shares. It is our  universal first language, the one spoken into us and over us from before we were born. In fact, it was through this language that we came into being. The Word Himself spoke and we were created.

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness…So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:26, 27).

Our native language is Truth. 

Truth about God, truth about you and me. Truth about why we exist, and the purpose of the breath in our lungs. 

The truth about you and me and every created thing is that we were thoughtfully, intentionally, lovingly created. Value and worth was the original, intended identity of every person. We were made to walk and talk with God, to share life together with the One who made us, to know Him, and know we are known by Him. In modern contexts, this kind of relationship is called by words like Love. Safe. Community.

We were created in truth, by Truth Himself. We were designed to walk in truth and speak Truth, to discern truth, and know truth. Truth about our own value and the value of others. The value of our Creator who made us with purpose and honorable intent.

But somewhere along the way we were introduced to a second language, a language called Lies. The Father of Lies would like to make us think his is our first language. He would like for you and me to forget our first language altogether, to never speak it again.

I was created for truth, but born into a context of lies. Growing up in trauma and abuse, I was nurtured on lies about my lack of value, the hopelessness of my existence. As I grew older, the lies grew bigger. And so did their obstruction of my native language Truth.

The Father of Lies would like to make us think our first language is lies. But we were made for Truth. #truthinsteadoflies Share on X

But one day, I was given a Bible, the handbook of Truth. As I pored over it, my heart began to remember the language that brought me into existence. Truth filled my heart and called me back to my first language. Over time, Truth replaced Lies until I communicated almost entirely in Truth. I understood Truth and spoke it.

Today I live in a place where English is the primary language spoken. But sometimes, in a grocery store or at a park, I hear someone speaking one of the other languages I know. My attention is immediately drawn to them, and I can’t help but listen. I want to engage. Sometimes I do.

The language of Lies is like that. I was fluent in Lies, after all. I haven’t forgotten the semantics, the power of the words. They still catch me in both familiar and unexpected places. I snap to attention and hesitate, wavering between the decision to listen and engage, or walk away.

I still use my Truth handbook every day. Not only is it the textbook for learning Truth, but it is also a tool for translating lies into Truth. It’s handy that way. I keep it nearby at all times, and sometimes when Lies sound a lot like the language of Truth, I parse and examine the language carefully against the Original.

What language do you speak? Understand? Follow, live your life, speak to your loved ones, make decisions, work in? #truthinsteadoflies Share on X

Your native language and mine is Truth. It was spoken over us before we were born, and as we grew in the safety of our mother’s womb. We were made to walk in Truth, speak Truth, understand Truth. God is the source of Truth.

I have not spoken in secret, from somewhere in a land of darkness; I have not said to Jacob’s descendants, ‘Seek me in vain.’ I, the Lord, speak the truth; I declare what is right (Isaiah 45:19).

Truth says that every human was created lovingly and with equal, immeasurable value. If you don’t understand that, perhaps you are speaking a different language than the one you were born to speak.

Take a moment to be still and hear Truth’s whisper in your soul. If you dare pick up the Bible and study it, your heart will resonate with the language you’ve known from birth. Your native language. The language of Truth.

Lord, renew my first language, the language of Truth. Amen.

@audreycfrank