If I spent an hour looking up all the verses in the bible that talk about my words, depression would set in. When I open God's word, I find many convicting passages about "my words".
My words can stab others (Proverbs 12:18)... My words can bring death (Proverbs 18:21)
Now obviously, these verses aren't meant to be taken literally, or there would be a lot of wounded or dead husbands and children lying around. These verses refer to the spiritual and emotional harm that our words can cause. There is another portrait painted in these same verses.
"Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing." - Proverbs 12:18
"Death and life are in the power of the tongue." - Proverbs 18:21
What a contrast: wounds vs. healing; death vs. life. Hope comes from the last half of these verses. Our words can be filled with life giving wisdom, encouragement, and blessing. When we bless God and others with our words, they are a sweet fragrance of worship to the Father.
God created the world to bring Him glory. All the earth is to shout joyfully to God. The waves lift their hands, the mountains bow down, and the trees clap...Together the instruments of God's design sing the glory of His name and make His praise glorious (Psalm 66)
All creation worships, but only man and woman, can worship with words. You and I have been given great privilege, the gift of language.
(But,Your words can curse others.)
"For every species of beast and birds and reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race. But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison." - James 3:7-8
In the garden of Eden, lions, tigers, grizzly bears and tongues were tame. But when sin entered the world, the tongue became a wild creature alongside other beasts.
The sad part is that we, who have been given the gift of language so that we might worship God, use this gift to curse Him and those who are made in His image.
"With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way." - James 3:9-10
This is serious. Because we curse others, we are in effect, cursing God and obliterating the previous act of blessing.
When I first read the scripture, I thought, "I don't curse people". But my study of this passage shows that I do. When James used the word "curse", it meant much more than cursing...Unkind words about a neighbor, child, husband, or anyone who is made in the image of God counts as curses. Ouch!
Are you gulping? I am. How many times after singing praises to God in a worship service, have I climbed into the car and spoken unkind words to the "very bad driver in front of me" (true, the other driver couldn't hear me, but God and anyone else in the car could!). Face it we are human, we speak bad words. How many times have I gotten up from my knees praying and later snapped at my family? Be honest...how many times does the "old self" rear it's extremely ugly head, and in a flash cause our hearts to respond with cursing?
"Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word that is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption." - Ephesians 4:29-30 (NIV)
"Don't use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them." - Ephesians 4:29-30 (NLT)
... The Message says (Ephesians 4:29-30), "Watch the way you talk. Let nothing foul or dirty come out of your mouth. Say only what helps, each word a gift."
Now the bible also says, that your words can be dirty, rotten garbage....
The use of the words such as "foul" or "dirty" are appropriate, as the Greek word "Sapros" literally means "dirty rotten garbage". Like bad fruit, "rotten" talk spreads rottenness. If you have ever smelled spoiled fish or garbage left standing in the sun for weeks...this picture is clear.
But what words classify as "dirty rotten garbage"? Is it only the foul, four letter variety? Our answer is found in the second half of the verse. The opposite of garbage words are words that edify and bring encouragement. To "edify" means to improve the building's form, to reinforce the structure, so we can say that words that edify reinforce the heart of the person receiving the blessing. Edifying words give grace, not judgement. They meet the need of the moment.
Verse 30 says that my words can produce an even worse outcome, they can grieve God...they can break His heart. Can you picture God grieving because of the dirty rotten garbage that came out of your mouth today?
Just as choosing wise words brings God glory...remaining silent when the words are boiling over inside you to be spoken, gives God glory. When I put a watch over the door to my lips, I am worshipping the Father. When I weigh my words on the scale of wisdom and remain silent, God is well pleased. I bow my words in worship before my God
So here is my challenge today to you...to me, to bow our words as worship to the Lord. To think of everything that comes out of our mouths, before we let it out. Inquire of the Lord.. "God, Should I say this?" His answer to what happens when we keep silent is in Exodus 14:14 :
"I will fight for you while you keep silent" (Enough said!)
Ultimately the reason that I speak too quickly, is that things are at a standstill. I know that God is working, but He can be so slow...and when His timing doesn't correlate with mine, I'm tempted to jump in and "help Him out". So daily I must bow my spoken and unspoken words before the Lord and say, "Father, tell me not only what to speak, but when to speak. I long to exalt you with my words."
When we learn to exalt God with our words, they will bring life and healing to others.
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