Your Words Reveal Your Heart

‘… Your speech betrays you.’

Matthew 26: 73 NKJV

The words you speak will give you away every time. It happened to Peter.
On the night Jesus was arrested and all his disciples scattered,
Peter stayed close enough to see what was happening-but not close enough to be identified with him.
The Bible says,

Those who stood by came up and said to Peter, ‘Surely you are one of them for your speech betrays you.’ Then he began to curse and swear, saying, ‘I do not know the man!’ Immediately a rooster crowed; and Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, ‘Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.’ So he went out and wept bitterly.

Matthew 26:  73–75 NKJV

After that episode nobody accused Peter of being a follower of Jesus!
Isn’t it interesting how profanity in any language has a way of making others question
the quality of your relationship with Christ?
Your words have the power to build people up or tear them down,
draw them to Christ or drive them away.
With that in mind, here are two Scriptures you need to underscore and think about often:

1) Let your speech always be with grace … that you may know how you ought to answer each. (Colossians 4:6 NKJV)

2) Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up …, that it may benefit those who listen. (Ephesians 4: 29 NIV®)

UCB ‘Word for Today’, May 2021

Aesop, the famed author of fables, said, ‘No act of kindness, no matter how small, ever is wasted.’
As one pastor writes, ‘It costs to be unkind, but it pays to be kind.’

Now, being kind doesn’t mean tolerating wrong
or refusing to confront a problem in order to be politically correct.
Sometimes we must confront; but it should always be done in a gracious way.
A calm demeanour will go a lot further than a harsh comment or an ugly tone of voice.
You can make your point with a kind spirit, and even a sense of humour.

Don’t be like the man who was standing in line to buy a plane ticket.
When he reached the counter, he said, ‘I’d like to purchase a plane ticket to New York City.’
The agent said, ‘No problem. How many pieces of luggage do you have?’
The passenger replied, ‘I have three pieces.’
The agent asked, ‘Would you like me to check all three to New York?’
The man replied. ‘No I want to send the first bag to Phoenix, the second to Seattle and the third to London.’
Dumbfounded, the clerk looked at him and said, ‘I am sorry sir, but we can’t do that.’
The man smiled and said, ‘I don’t see why not; that’s what you did last week.’
You will always make your point more effectively with a butter knife than a butcher’s knife.
Remember, Words from the mouth of the wise are gracious, but fools are consumed by their own lips. (Ecclesiastes 10: 12 NIV®)

If you’re serious about living by the teachings of God’s Word, today try to be gracious.

UCB ‘Word for Today’

The Bible provides us with many passages on how we should speak with other people,
how we should relate to Christians, as well as other people.
The Book of James, written by Jesus’s brother, provides practical and vital information
on how we should behave as Christians. He speaks of the importance of controlling one’s speech.

My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.

James 1: 19–20 NIV®

In chapter 3, James stresses the importance of ‘Taming the Tongue’,
and draws reference to the fact that horses with just a bit in their mouths are turned around;
also, despite the size of ships, small rudders are used by pilots to steer them.

Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

James 3: 5–6 NIV®

Reflections

1) Consider, what you say and what you don’t say are both important.
Proper speech is not only saying the right words at the right time,
but it is also controlling your desire to say what you should not say.
Examples of an untamed tongue: gossiping, putting others down, bragging,
manipulating, false teaching exaggerating, complaining, flattering, and lying.
Before you speak, ask yourself, ‘Is what I want to say true? Is it necessary? Is it kind?’

2) Hateful words are damaging because they spread destruction quickly.
No one can stop the results once they are spoken.
We dare not be careless with what we say, thinking we can apologise later,
because even if we do the scars remain.
A few words spoken in anger can destroy a relationship that took years to build.
Before you speak remember that words are like fire:
you can neither control nor reverse the damage they can do.

3) We were made in God’s image, but we have also fallen into sin.
God works to change us from the inside out.
The Holy Spirit gives us increasing power to monitor and control what we say;
the Holy Spirit purifies a heart, reminds us of God’s love
and gives us self-control so that we speak words which please God.

Excerpts from Life Application Study Bible

Let us pray:
Father God, we come to you today knowing that we have not always been kind to others in our conversations.
Please forgive us of our sins, and help us to have the courage to seek forgiveness
from those persons whom we have wronged.
We have been going through a particularly stressful period during the past fourteen months
due to the coronavirus pandemic; life has been extremely challenging.
Help us to remember that human anger does not produce the righteousness of God.
You have given us minds to think, choices to make and opportunities
to show kindness, compassion and care for each other:
in communities, in families, friends, in the work place and among neighbours.
This virus has shown that you made us for each other and responsible for each other.
We thank and praise you because you are our God. You are God Almighty, all knowing and all loving.
So Father, May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight.
O Lord my rock and my Redeemer. (Psalm 19: 14 NASB)

Amen

Take my life, and let it be
consecrated, Lord, to thee;
take my moments and my days,
let them flow in ceaseless praise.

Take my voice, and let me sing
always only, for my King;
take my lips, and let them be
filled with messages from thee.

Frances Ridley Havergal (1836–1879)

Church family, today let us make a special effort to be gracious to all.
Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips. (Psalm 141: 3 NIV®)
A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver. (Proverbs 25: 11 NIV®)

Glynne Gordon-Carter