The Words We Speak

May 26

We tend to measure things. We measure the weight of food products to determine their usefulness in a particular recipe. We calculate the monthly payment on a mortgage before purchasing a house to ascertain our ability to assume a large monetary responsibility. We count the weapons in a nation’s arsenal to determine its bellicose capabilities. We project our life expectancy to allow us time for frivolity before dealing with our need for salvation.

All these matters and so many more, are imperatives in our lives. Sooner or later, most of us will have to give our full consideration to each of them. We can’t go forward successfully in any area of endeavor if we haven’t done the calculations and determined whether the return on any investment will outweigh the cost to ourselves and to our families.

One thing that we are disinclined to weigh is the words of our mouths. We tend to ‘shoot from the lip,’ as the old saying goes, rather than carefully determining the impact our words will have upon those who hear them. God, however, does not view the things we say with any less import than He does the things we do. He makes His point quite emphatically in many areas of scripture, but perhaps no more clearly than it is stated in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians in chapter 4 verse 29 where the importance of our words is stated thusly:

“Do not let any corrupt communication to proceed out of your mouth; allow only what is helpful for building others to flow forth from your lips, that your words may benefit all who listen.” He wants the words we speak to bless others. That can’t happen if we haven’t allowed, according to Psalm 19:14 that, “…the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord my strength and my Redeemer.” If we allow Him to be the focus of our meditation, we can be certain that the words we speak will glorify the Lord.