Lately, God keeps confronting me with the power of words. Have you ever had a conversation with a friend, or your spouse, that included some critical words that you later regretted?
In the New Testament Book of James, we read in the third chapter, about the powerful ways our speech can give life or destroy it. It can draw people towards Jesus or push them away. It tells of how out of the same mouth our speech is truly an unruly evil…it goes about boasting, cursing, gossiping, making promises…and out of the same mouth we praise God.
Well, in the middle of all this, God has reminded me of a couple of things that have been helpful at least to me. This morning I read Proverbs 10:32, “The speech of a good person clears the air; the words of the wicked pollute it.” This verses makes me think of someone who’s eaten garlic or onions and has bad breath. In the same way, that which we fill our minds and hearts with can affect the aroma of our speech. Then Matthew 12:34 says “Out of the heart the mouth speaks.” So I have to ask, what’s my “diet” like? What am I filling my mind and heart with that impacts my “breath”?
Maybe God is reminding me of a litmus test for my speech. Before I speak, maybe it would be a good thing to ask myself:
Is it true?
Is it necessary?
Is it kind?
Is it loving?
Does it build up or tear down?
It was just a reminder I needed this week. What about you? How’s your breath?
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