Have you ever said something you wished you hadn’t? Just spoke some words that seem to jump out of your mouth? Maybe it wasn’t the words themselves so much as it was the sound (the tones) of those words. Well, without really asking for a show of hands I am sure that all of us have found ourselves in that situation at least once. There is so much that can be said about the importance of our words and this devotional is in no way a completion or an exhaustive study. My purpose this week is to get us thinking about whether our words line up with THE WORD.  So I’m just sharing with you a few verses that have helped me a lot over the years with my speaking.

Psalm 141:3 “Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips”. The way we set a watch over our mouth is by hiding the Word in our hearts so our heart is filled with the abundance of the Word.  I look at this Scripture as a preventive measure to monitor my words before I speak because Luke 6:45 tells me that it is from the abundance of our heart that we speak.

Proverbs 15:1, “A soft answer turns away wrath; but grievous words stir up anger”.

Ephesians 4:29 “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers”.

We are to be thinking about what we are saying in order to filter our words to keep them in line with the Word of God. What kind of words we are to speak? We are to speak soft words and words that do not corrupt.  Even the tones to our voice play an important part in how well our words are received.  Now immediately some may think that corrupt words as swear words etc, and of course they are included, but words that do not line up with the Word of God are also corrupt words. Words of anger, spite, slander, doubt, and fear (and much more) are all part of corrupt communication. Instead we are to speak words of kindness, encouragement, of good report, true, honest and faith. See Philippians 4:8 for a study list of what we are to think on and monitor our words.

We need to realize that our words administer “something” to those who hear us talk. Either words of doubt, fear and defeat or faith and victory. Let’s endeavor to speak encouraging words of the Word to build faith in ourselves and others. I challenge you this week to really zero in on what and how you are communicating. Listen to what you say and how you say it. We can speak the truth in love and not stir up anger. We can speak words of kindness and dispel strife with a soft answer. Ask yourself if your words bring grace to the hearers, and glory to God. That’s our assignment this week, so let me hear from you and how God is ministering strength to you in the area of your words.