What you store in your heart is revealed in your words.
“May the words of my mouth . . be pleasing in your sight, O Lord.” Psalm 19:14 NIV.
My thoughts and comments today are that “words matter.”
More than you might realize, words matter. They can matter a lot more than you might think, to the one that speaks them as well as the ones that hear them. Words are easily spoken, readily heard, and sometimes quickly forgotten, but not always. And it seems the words we tend to remember are often the words that would be better if forgotten. The good things a person hears seem too quickly lost amid the daily distractions of life while less wholesome words can lodge in one’s memory indefinitely. Choose wisely the words you speak.
Words matter because words have unimagined power. All that was created, was spoken into existence by the Word of God. The New Testament further explains, “By faith, we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God.” Hebrews 11: 3 NKJV. Words are a valuable gift when used kindly and wisely. Your words have the power to heal or hurt; use them to heal. With words, you can encourage or discourage; be encouraging. I remember my Mom saying, “If you don’t have anything good to say, don’t say anything.”
Ponder carefully your words before you speak; consider your own feelings if you heard them said about you instead of spoken by you. The Bible offers wise counsel, “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” Colossians 4:6 NIV. Salt has two important properties: to preserve and enhance. Your words should do the same.
Now let me change my attention to the important matter of self-talk. Words that you tell yourself also matter as much if not more than how you speak to others. As always, the Bible provides instruction; “Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my meditation . . May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord.” Psalm 5:1 NKJV and Psalm 19:14 NIV. There is an inviolable connection between your public conversation and your private meditation. At a time when popular opinion was unfavorable and threatening, “David encouraged himself in the Lord.” 1 Samuel 30:6 KJV.
Don’t rehearse your past or your problems; that’s just further discouraging. Remind yourself about God and His power and promises; that’s encouraging. Do you ever wonder what David said to himself that encouraged him? Did he recall the day on the battlefield when Goliath fell at his hand? Did he remind himself of the past faithfulness of God? Or the promises of God? Or the power of God? Or the history of God across his lifetime? Whatever he said and thought, he was encouraged in the Lord.
I recently heard an interesting statement. “Don’t listen to yourself. Talk to yourself.” Let your self-talk be uplifting and inspiring. Never talk to yourself in a lesser way than you would speak to others. Don’t indulge negative thoughts about yourself or your circumstance. Be as wise in what you tell yourself as you should be careful in what you say to others. The meditation of your heart and mind should be purposeful, healing, and uplifting. “Be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.” Ephesians 5:18-20 NKJV. What you store in your heart is revealed in your words.
Today, I pray for you to be gracious in your words to and about others.
Christian Communications 2016