Words
Words, nothing more than letters organized in a particular way, creating recognizable sounds with a definitive meaning, in a certain language. Put some words together and you have a sentence. Funny how we spend years learning to speak, read and write and once we learn that, we probably don’t give much thought as to what rolls off of our tongue. It takes several years to dominate a language and yet, once mastered, the words somehow master us.
Few things are as powerful as words spoken over us. They shape and even define who we become. Words have a tremendous ability to impact. They can soothe, edify, encourage, empower, instruct, tear down, demoralize, shame, control, frighten, etc. Words can bring us peace, confidence, affirmation, but words can also bring us pain and hurt. “The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing” (Psalm 12:18).
Jesus’ words were carefully recorded. Unfortunately, we only have access to a fraction of what He said and did. What’s clear from the gospels is that the Lord only spoke pure words, words without sin. His words were healing, compassionate, loving and tender. Are mine? We also know his words convicted those who were living in sin, but He did not condemn them. Do my words condemn? His words were filled with truth and they resonated deep within those who listened. Do I speak words of truth? His words converted hearts and led people to the Father. The same is true today as we read and let Jesus’ words take root in our hearts.
I do wonder if Jesus had to think about what he said. Did he have to restrain himself? Did he battle the desire to speak what he truly felt when he was indignant or hurt, or was it a natural flow from the pureness of his heart? I would guess the latter. What dictates what falls out of our mouths? We’ve all been there, “Did I really just say that?” Or worse yet, having no awareness of what has come out of my mouth, for if I am aware, I can, at the very least, ask for pardon from those I have hurt. But if I am unaware, the damage I have done, I do not notice. If we boil away the excuses we give or the justification we have for the damaging things we say, i.e. mood, fatigue, emotions, stress, you cause me to say those things, etc, what we have left to contend with, is the condition of our heart. “A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of” (Luke 6:45). I believe the “evil” mentioned in this verse represents the ungodly things that reside in our hearts, such as anger, resentment, hurt, unforgiveness, selfishness, etc. It is these things that the Lord is asking us to contend with and with His help, identify and overcome.
My prayer today – Lord, I want to be aware of what I say and how I say it. I want to speak words of love, compassion, kindness and healing. And when I don’t, I would ask that You convict me on the spot so I can look inside my heart and see what is causing the “evil.” I want a heart that is stored with “good” things not “evil” things. I want a heart that You can use to convert hearts and a heart that leads people to the Father. I want a heart like Yours.
As we continue to bask in the resurrection of our Lord, I pray that He would illuminate our hearts and help us to identify and root out what is “evil” so that out of our hearts would flow only goodness.
