Jesus said in Matt. 15:11 that it is not what enters into a man that defiles him; rather, it’s what comes out of the man’s mouth that makes the man unclean. In essence, the thoughts of the human heart which bring forth the issues of life and help to check the words of a man must be taken care of.
What comes out of your mouth is important. It’s not just idle words – the things you say matter. They have the power to build up or tear down, to encourage or discourage. The power of life is in the tongue.
In the Bible, James 3:5-10 says that the tongue is a small member of the body that can cause great destruction. Most people fail to realize that you can tame many things, but taming the deceitful tongue is harder than those things.
So how can we be careful of what comes out of our mouths?
1. Daily dedication of your heart and mind to God through prayers.
One of the things we need to do if we want to be careful about what we say is to have daily devotion and conversation with God. We need to decide in our hearts to keep our minds stayed on Him throughout the day. This doesn’t mean that we won’t think about other things, but it does mean that Christ should be central in our thoughts.
If we are going to be successful in taming our tongues, we need God’s help. We can’t do it on our own. So let’s commit to spending time with Him each day and asking for His help in controlling our words.
2. Ask for forgiveness and wholly repent from using negative words on people.
If you have been using your words to tear people down or speak negatively about others, you need to ask for forgiveness. This is a process that starts with repentance. You need to turn away from your sinful ways and start living according to God’s Word.
One of the things we can do to help us be careful about what we say is to ask God to help us forgive those who have hurt us. When we hold on to bitterness and anger, it only gives the devil a foothold in our lives. But when we let go of those things and forgive, it sets us free.
3. Recognize the power of your words.
Understand that your words reflect what’s going on in your heart. Choose your words wisely. The words we speak reflect what’s going on in our hearts. If our hearts are full of love, joy, and peace, our words will reflect that. But if our hearts are full of anger, hatred, and bitterness, then our words will reflect that. So it’s important to choose our words carefully.
4. Control the tongue by choosing to speak positively.
Make blessing-filled declarations instead of cussing. Thank God instead of belittling someone with your words. Confess words of faith instead of murmuring words of doubt. When we choose to speak blessings instead of curses, we are trying to control our tongues.
It’s not easy to control the tongue. It’s one of the hardest things to do. But it’s possible with God’s help. So let’s commit to being careful about what we say and use our words to build others up.
5. Don’t gossip – it only destroys relationships.
Gossip is one of the most destructive things we can do with our words. It tears down relationships and destroys trust. If you want to have healthy relationships, then you need to avoid gossip at all costs. Only speak words that will help, encourage, and build others up.
Here are some helpful bible verses about the power of words.
- Proverbs 18:21
- Matthew 12:37
- Luke 6:45
- Proverbs 15:4
- Proverbs 16:24
- Ephesians 4:29
- Colossians 4:6
- 1 Timothy 4:12
The next time you are tempted to say something negative about someone, stop and think about whether or not it will help, encourage, or build them up. If not, then don’t say it.
