Careful What You Say

Matthew 12:36 (NKJV) ³⁶ But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.

I have always been a very firm believer in watch what you say.  I read something a while ago and believe that it's very true and should always be taken into consideration before we open our mouths to speak.  THINK:

Are your words true (Galatians 6:1; Proverbs 16:16,17)
Are your words helpful (Proverbs 16:24)
Are your words inspiring (Ephesians 4:29)
Are your words necessary (Proverbs 17:28; 29:20)
Are your words kind (1 Corinthians 10:23)

We are too quick to speak things that have no business being said, that are hurtful and judgmental. We are, often, not quick enough to speak words of encouragement and inspiration.  Most of the time the words fly right out of our mouth with out giving them a second thought as to how they may affect someone's life or heart.  Yet, when those words are spoken toward us or someone we love; we then become all too familiar with how wrong and unfair they really are. 

Proverbs 18:20-21 (AMP) ²⁰ A man’s [moral] self shall be filled with the fruit of his mouth; and with the consequence of his words he must be satisfied [whether good or evil]. ²¹ Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it [for death or life].

This is also true about speaking negativity on ourselves; whether we tell ourselves we are not smart enough to do this or that, or that we always fail so why even try or even that we have made too many mistakes to come back now.  God doesn't do it, so what gives us the right to do it?  Life and death are in the power of the tongue, so if we are constantly speaking negativity then that is what our life is going to be filled with. 

           

At times, while carrying on a conversation, I am speaking things that have no business being said or can be hurtful and in the back of my mind I'm telling myself…now you know this isn't right.  Yet, they still leave my mouth and at the end of the day I find myself feeling badly because of the things I have said that I had no business saying.  Other times because I'm just too busy and caught up in what is going on, these words just fly out of my mouth.  I know that I will not always say the right or perfect thing, but I am praying that God will make me more and more aware of what I'm saying.  I want to be used by Him, I want people to see Him in me and they aren't going to see that if my words are unnecessary or hurtful.

We have to learn to speak life and edifying words of encouragement to ourselves and those we encounter. The mind and heart are very complicated and at times are like sponges; they retain and feed off of what is constantly spoken and done to them.  Even in the midst of a bad situation we have to learn to speak life and not to concentrate on the negative. To remember that we are still blessed and even in the midst of the storm we need to be uplifting and as positive as we can.

You're blessed because Jesus loves you!