Better or Worse?

 Life and death are in the power of the tongue. (Proverbs 18:21)

Most of what follows is a talk I'm having with myself as I pray for the Holy spirit to cleanse me of my foot-in-mouth disease.  

We all like to think our words help, not hurt.  Most of us mean well. If someone said we’d wounded them with something we said, we might be a little surprised. “What? That’s not what I meant.”  

But let’s be honest. We’re all walking around with our own bumps and bruises, and sometimes they spill out when we speak. Others have spoken to us out of their pain, and we do the same. So maybe it shouldn’t shock us when our words don’t always land the way we hoped.

The truth is, our words will leave someone feeling better or worse. There’s not much in-between.

When we leave a conversation, we ought to leave the scent of Christ behind.  We should listen more, talk less, and walk away knowing we cared about the other person’s heart - just like Jesus does.  

Speaking of caring, I’ve also noticed how we don't always (me especially) filter our words through kindness. We can all dredge up memories of words we spoke or observed other speak that were imprudent and hurtful. 

Boy do I wish I had a 10 second timer on my mouth that kept me from replying so quickly.         

Now, I wish - really wish, I could believe every time I leave a conversation, someone feels uplifted and encouraged. I like to think of myself as positive person by nature. And a good bit of the time, I might show that.  

But other times? Man, I leave thinking, "You talk too much."  (I'm sure everyone who knows me will nod in agreement with that one.)  It's funny how when we don’t know what to say, we sometimes say too much. Somebody said, "Never pass up an opportunity to keep your mouth shut.” I pray I learn to do that more as I cruise into the back nine of my life.  

Small But Mighty

That small muscle in our tongue is outsized in its power.  We can use it to taste, talk sing and smile. We can bless and curse with it.  We can lift up or tear down. Speak life or spread death.

The Bible puts it plainly: Life and death are in the power of the tongue. (Proverbs 18:21)

But let’s be clear - it’s not the tongue’s fault - don't blame the messenger. The real issue is deeper. Jesus said, what comes out of our mouths starts in the heart. (Matthew 15:18)

So maybe instead of asking, “Did I say the right thing?” maybe we should ask, "What’s going on in my heart?”

Because if the heart’s right, the right words will follow.

Pray for me and if any of this is helpful, pass it along.

Soli Deo Gloria.