Words
Let me tell you something: Every one of these careless words
is going to come back to haunt you. There will be a time of Reckoning.
Words are powerful; take them seriously. Words can be your salvation.
Words can also be your damnation. Matthew 12:36-37 (The Message)
Words have power – to help or hurt. I’m sure that, like me, you have spoken words you later regretted or have been privileged to use words to encourage a down-hearted friend. I’ve come to understand the tremendous responsibility of weighing my words and thinking before I open my mouth – but I will admit I often fail and at those times have to say “I’m sorry.”
Knowing that the words I speak originate in my heart makes me reflect carefully on the words of God about mankind in Genesis 6:5 …every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. This can never be an excuse for the thoughtless words I speak, but it does help me understand the biblical truth that there is a time to be silent and a time to speak. Ecclesiates 3:7
I am the one responsible for my heart, my tongue and therefore my words. It is easy for me to blame the actions of others or circumstances for how I react, but that reaction always remains my choice. As a believer it is only by the power of Christ that I ever reflect any of His character. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20
I find it easier to be more thoughtful and say what I really mean when I write. I have been pondering the difference between doing that and communicating verbally. I’ve discovered that I can often write something on paper that I might be too embarrassed to say or I might get too emotional to present clearly. But the biggest difference is I can do all the editing I need to when I write, but once my tongue starts, it’s impossible to go back and reword the sentence. …Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry… James 1:19
Those who know me intimately have heard me sometimes say that I wish I could be mute for a year. It sounds like a terrible thing to wish for, but I think at the end of the year I would be a better listener, less likely to interrupt someone speaking to me and be far more selective with my choice of words. …let the wise listen and add to their learning… Proverbs 1:5
The challenge for me is to be constantly vigilant, guarding not only my heart but my mouth. While Job was in the midst of a struggle he didn’t understand, Elihu, a young friend, had the courage to speak to him with these words, "...listen to my words; pay attention to everything I say. I am about to open my mouth; my words are on the tip of my tongue. My words come from an upright heart; my lips sincerely speak what I know. Job 33:1-3 I pray that my words will come from an upright heart and my lips sincerely speak what I know.
…I trust in your word. Psalm 119:42
Deborah Piggott
© May 2007
