I’ve had this photo in my camera roll on my phone for quite some time, but never took the time to write a post about it. I’d like to say it’s because I just didn’t have time, but in reality, it’s because it hits a little closer to home than I’d like to admit.
In Ephesians 4:29 it says, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” While I can clearly read those words, I don’t always put them into practice.
I want to take a minute to consider the quote from the photo above.
If the words you spoke appeared on your skin… would you still be beautiful?
Take a minute to think back to the words you spoke yesterday to or about someone else.
Maybe something didn’t go your way and you dropped the F-bomb. Maybe you had an argument and said something hurtful. Maybe you just popped off in a negative, unwholesome way in conversation with a friend. Think about those moments, those words.
What if you had woken up this morning with those words permanently on your body like a tattoo? I hope I’m not alone in saying that I’d be ashamed of the words I spoke being displayed for all to see.
Words can be powerful things. They can encourage and motivate others. They can also be hurtful and cause others harm. This is why James spoke about taming the tongue . God has made it abundantly clear throughout the entire bible that our tongues are a weapon that must be controlled.
“Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut.”
Proverbs 10:19 NLT
That’s as blunt as it gets people. Too much talk leads to sin. The words we say are so often thrown around without any hesitation though, and I think that’s exactly what God warns against. He keeps an account of the words we speak, as if those words are tattooed all over us.
In Matthew 12, Jesus says, “And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak. The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you.”
Yikes! Your words… my words… are going to acquit us or condemn us… let that sink in for a minute.
Regardless of the times you volunteered at church, put a $20 in the collection plate, or spent some time serving at the local soup kitchen or clothing distribution center, your words are what condemns or acquits you at the day of judgment.
That thought made me search my bible for why God weighs our words so heavily, which is when I remembered this verse…
“But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them.”
Matthew 15:18 NIV
This is a verse my mom has quoted to me and my brother our entire lives. We would say something mean to each other and her response was, “out of the heart the mouth speaks.” I don’t think I ever fully understood the meaning until I became an adult and sought to grow more spiritually every day.
So how do we even go about taming this weapon we’ve got?
That begins with changing our hearts. The hateful, disrespectful, prideful, and inappropriate words that come out of our mouths are a direct reflection of our heart. When those qualities live in our hearts, they seep out in our speech.
We have to guard against engaging our tongues without engaging our minds. Which is when this cheesy, but helpful acronym can be put to use:
T – is it True?
H – is it Helpful?
I – is it Inspiring?
N – is it Necessary?
K – is it Kind?
If it doesn’t pass the simple test, don’t say it. Plain and simple. So I’m going to put this into practice myself, and hopefully you’ll join me in remembering to keep your mouth in check! I’d hate for the ugliness that sometimes comes out to be words people see on my skin, as I’m sure you would too.
I read a joke today about some children messing with their grandfather. They found him asleep on the sofa in the living room. One of the children got the bright idea to spread some Limburger cheese in Grandpa’s mustache. After a while grandpa woke up and began to smell that Limburger cheese and said, “Something in this living room stinks.” He went into the kitchen, still smelling the Limburger cheese in his mustache, and said, “Something in this room stinks.” Finally, he stuck his head out the back door and says, “Ah, the whole world stinks!”
I think as silly as that sounds, it’s something for us to think about. The problem is not out there, it’s within us. Something needs to change within us. Our focus needs to be transformed. Instead of looking for the bad in a situation, we need to look for the good. Instead of being preoccupied with self-interest, we need to focus on the interests of others. Changing our hearts is a good place to start.
Courtesy of: Be Salt & Light
