Watch Your Words
“The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”—Luke 6:45
Maybe you’re like me. You have a great quiet time with God. You listen to a great sermon and are motivated to live it out.
Then reality hits.
I am hit head-on with whiny children, traffic, or inconveniences. All my good intentions? They vanish.
I snap at my kids. Fume at the driver who cut me off. Complain about the inconvenience.
Whether we speak them out loud or think them silently in our minds, our words have great power—not just to ourselves but to others.
Because they do, taking a close look at what we are saying, verbally or otherwise, is one way we connect the dots. Our words will lead us either to God’s ends or detrimental ones.
An unknown writer once said, “Words are seeds that do more than blow around. They land in our hearts and not the ground. Be careful what you plant and careful what you say. You might have to eat what you planted one day.” We will reap what we sow (Gal. 6:7).
So why should we watch our words?
Our Words Reveal Our Idols
We often think that the words that come out of our mouths just “pop out.” But the truth is, they are not random. They originate from our hearts (Luke 6:45). Ruth Chou Simons puts it this way: “Idle words reveal our idols because the words that come out of us betray what we worship in silence.”
In the heat of the moment, our true nature comes out. There is nothing that comes out of our mouths that was not already there in the first place. The stressor simply reveals it.
The next time you open your mouth or think a thought, listen to yourself. What do you hear? Listen not just for the actual words you say or think but also its tone. What do they betray about your heart? What do your words reveal about you?
Our Words Shape Faith
Because words are so powerful, our sinful hearts can take them and use them to further our ends. We can twist and manipulate them to achieve our own purposes.
However, if we desire to be people of faith, we need to let God’s purposes guide us:
trusting that He will accomplish His will even if we do not attain what we desire
risking to bring up something that is painful but necessary
seeking forgiveness and reconciliation even if it feels unjust.
Being firmly rooted in His Story, applying His Word so that it shapes our character—these form the good treasure in our hearts out of which we speak. What kinds of abundance are you storing up?
Our Words Make A Difference
“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me”—or so the saying goes.
But you and I know that isn’t true. Words of condemnation, abuse, or criticism don’t ever go away. We internalize them, nurse them, leading us to bitterness, shame, or sometimes even death.
Our words are powerful. They lead us somewhere. In The Message version of Proverbs 18:21, we read: “Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or fruit—you choose.”
You choose.
If we desire to live a life that reflects the grace and goodness of God, we need to learn what God’s standards of speech are. According to Colossians 4:6 and Ephesians 4:29 our words should be:
Not corrupting but seasoned with salt
Give grace to those who hear
Good for building up others
Appropriate to the person
Fits the occasion
This does not mean sugar coating—that leads to decay. Rather, they are to be salty, preserving and enhancing faith. What we say needs to be both fitting and uplifting.
As you look at this list, what kind of difference are your words making? What will you choose?
Taking Action
Our words have great impact—on ourselves and others. So let’s take some time to
prayerfully ask the Lord to examine our hearts for idols
commit to letting the Word shape our minds so it is filled with good treasure (memorizing it also helps!)
choosing to evaluate our words before letting them come out of our mouths.
This allows us to speak words that are fitting and appropriate, life-giving and nourishing. As we steep in His Word, our hearts are humbled and our words become touched with the fragrance of Christ.
What kind of abundance does your heart speak?
