Keep your mouth shut! What? That seems harsh and maybe a just a tad unreal. While we can’t always keep our mouths closed, we can control what comes out of them. The Bible tells us that what comes out of our mouths exposes the thoughts and attitudes of our heart. Friends, this is worth taking a few minutes today to read and be reminded of the power of our mouths.
True Story Ahead
As you’ve probably been aware, I’ve taken a couple of weeks off from writing. First, I took a week’s vacation. That was great! Then I got sick. That wasn’t so great. I needed some rest in the mornings. I love how Jesus understands this and quite frankly I’m convinced He allows us to get sick sometimes just so we will rest.
But since I’m starting to feel better, today I opened my Bible and picked up where I left off in Matthew 15. Jesus sure doesn’t waste time getting to the point.
When we talk, we reveal our inner most thoughts, attitudes, desires, intentions, and emotions. Whether what’s deep down in us is good or not so good. It will come out when we speak.
As I read Matthew 15 this morning, I remembered some teachings my spiritual mentor, Elizabeth Bankole, has taught me repeatedly. So I pulled out my notes from her Bible studies on this subject, which led me to Hebrews 4:12-13:
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
The Word of God is alive! It’s sharp! It cuts even the toughest stuff. I think about how sharp my chef’s knife is. I’ve actually sliced my fingers a time or two. That hurts. My fingers bleed, and well, there’s no way you can’t notice that.
God’s Word does the same, only deeper, with more precision, and we can’t stop it. God decides what needs to be pierced in us. He decides what needs to be exposed. He decides what is good and what is bad and therefore what needs to be cut out of us.
None of us get off the hook from this either. The Bible says that the Living God Himself sees into even the tiniest crevices of our heart and soul.
So if we think we’re hiding something from Him, we aren’t. We may be successful with people (sometimes), but we’re never successful hiding what’s going on inside of our heart and soul from Jesus. Let’s face it, what comes out of our mouths reveals what’s in our heart and soul.
My friend Elizabeth says our soul is our battlefield.
Our soul is comprised of our mind, will, and emotions.
The Bible says Jesus is the One to whom we are accountable.
So, how are we doing?
I’m going to ask you the same questions Elizabeth has asked me many times. These are good questions to ask ourselves based on today’s Scripture. If we are Christians, we need to be courageous and ask these tough questions to ourselves:
- Am I living like Jesus wants me to live?
- Am I thinking right?
- Am I feeling right?
- Am I speaking right?
- Are my intentions right?
- Are my attitudes right?
- Are my desires right?
- Am I living in Christ?
If I can answer “yes” to these questions, then I have nothing to fear. But if I answer “no” to any of these questions, then I have some work to do. I can be sure Jesus knows this too, and He will be exercising some precision cutting at some point.
One way we can know what’s really in our heart is by how we speak. Let’s listen to ourselves today. If we are kind and compassionate in our speech, then God’s Word would say, we are kind and compassionate in our hearts. If we are harsh and sarcastic or angry and resentful in what we say, then our hearts need some attention.
The best way to clean out that gunk is to spend time with Jesus. He is the only One who has the two-edged sword to cut that out of us.
I pray my mouth reveals that I truly am living in and for Christ. This is my prayer for you too.
Scripture:
Matthew 15:10-11 – Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth,that is what defiles them.”
Matthew 15:18 – The things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them.
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