578. Words Matter

“It seems,” Stan began, “that I’m constantly saying something I regret the moment I open my mouth and allow the words to flow.”

“Sounds like confession time,” I responded with a smile.

“I’m not going to give you any gory details,” Stan replied.  “Let’s just say the Holy Spirit has been busy convicting me that I need to keep a better control on what I say.”

“And how did He do that?” I asked.

“In the first instance,” Stan replied, “I was taken to the passage in Matthew where Jesus is recorded as saying that I’m going to have to give account for every careless word I speak.”

“Every careless word,” I responded.  “That, for me, could be a lot of accounting.”

“For me as well,” Stan added.  “And, I think, most all of us would fall into that category.”

“However,” he continued, “the Holy Spirit also took me to a verse in the Book of Psalms that provides a great deal of help with this, if I will only have the consistent sense to follow it.”

“What’s that?” I asked.

“Praying,” was Stan’s one-word answer.

“Praying about what?” I asked.  “That you would control what comes out of your mouth?”

“That,” Stan replied, “plus the really important part that my heart, my inner being, would be in alignment with what God has for me to think about and speak.”

“Kind of like taking every thought captive?” I replied.  “Like we have talked about before?”

“I think it goes even further than that,” Stan said.  “I think it goes to the essence of changing my internal being.”

“Is that possible?” I asked.

“Certainly is,” Stan replied.  “It’s all a matter of choice.  And the first choice is for me to pray about this whole matter of heart and mouth, knowing that words really do matter.”

Concluding, he said, “Words matter, for manifesting who I am in Christ, as well as the opposite.  Words matter for me and for others.  I just need to remember that the Holy Spirit is called the ‘Helper’ for a very simple reason.  He helps.  I need to let Him do His job!  And that begins with prayer.”

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And I say to you, that every careless word that men shall speak, they shall render account for it in the day of judgment.  For by your words you shall be justified, and by your words you shall be condemned.  Matthew 12:36, 37.

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.  Psalms 19:14.

Prayer:  Thank you, Father, for the truth that words do matter.  I confess that too often the words that I allow to come out of my mouth tear down, not build up.  They do not manifest who I am in Christ, but manifest who I am apart from Him.  Please forgive me.  And please help me in remembering that the matter of changing what comes out of my mouth begins with what is in my heart, what is in the essence of my being.  Please, Father, help me in following your lead in all you have available for me to change internally so that what comes out of my mouth is truly acceptable to you.  Thank you I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus.  Amen.

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Think on this:  Words do matter.  They can build up and they can tear down.  How would you rate yourself on that?  How would God say you are doing with what you are building up and tearing down.  If there is a need to control what words come out of your mouth by changing what’s in your heart, what does it look like to have that control?  Can you do it on your own or do you need some help?