Spoken Words

Are the words you speak to others a good witness for Christ or not?

As I've shared in many of my previous Friday devotionals, my husband, John and I read each night before bed a short Scripture verse and from two devotional books I was blessed to be given from my Secret Sisters in the past few years. It just so happens that the theme for the devotionals for the month of March in Search My Heart, O God by Kay Arthur was titled "Search My Conversations", and WOW,[Women of the Word - no pun intended] did each of them give an earful and wake-up call to just how important the words are that we speak and the power of the tongue.

Some of the questions posed: Do the words of your mouth reflect your Christian beliefs? (1Peter4:11; Psa. 19:14). Do your words hiss, snarl, and spit, leaving claw marks and scratches on other people's reputations? (Prov 19:5, Psa 37:7-8). Do you use your tongue to strengthen another's spirit? (Prov 20:5; 14:4; 18:14). Do the words spoken around your house to family members evoke a place of peace, joy, acceptance, and security, or pain? (Col. 4:6, Eph 4:31-32) Do you think about your tone of voice when you speak without thinking about the effect your words will have? (Prov 15:1, 15:4) Do you realize that the words you speak from your mouth reveal much about the kind of person you really are? (Matt 15:18) Do you sometimes find yourself telling jokes that demean our politicians and badmouth our nation's leaders? (Titus 1-3). Do you use the same kind of language at work that you would use at church? (Matt 23:28). Do you use the same unkind and destructive words to give someone "a good dose of their own medicine" when they have blasted you or cut you down in front of others? (1Peter 3:8-9).

I'm sorry that I don't have the space in this one, short Friday devotional to share everything that I wish I could from all of the March devotionals. But, I hope I've given some "food for thought", that some of the questions struck a chord in you, that you hopefully will then take the time to read the cited verses, and that you take to heart what God has to say about it. After all, what better authority can there be when "the food" provided comes straight from Him who unconditionally loves us? Were you able to identity with any of the questions posed by the devotionals' author? I can tell you that there probably wasn't one night in March that I didn't say "Ouch", because some of the words were a little too close for comfort. These were just a reminder to me of why it is so important to not only read God's Word, but also to use our best efforts to try and apply it in our day-to-day living. The fact that we will sometimes blunder and not get it right every time (because we are, after all, only human) does not mean that we cannot try to choose our words more carefully and be the example God wants us to be. Remember what Deuteronomy 7:6 tells us: "You are a Holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for His own possession. And if all of the above hasn't yet convinced you of the "power of the tongue", perhaps a quick read of James 3:1-12 - "Taming the Tongue" might be in order.

I'll close with the words from one of my favorite Praise and Worship songs. "Change my heart, O God. Make it ever true. Change my heart, O God. May I be like you. You are the potter. I am the clay. Make me and mold me. This is what I pray."

Have a very blessed day.

In Him, Charlotte

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