WORDS MATTER

You cannot stop people's tongues, and therefore the best thing to do is to stop your own ears and never mind what is spoken. -Spurgeon

Proverbs 25:11 - A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.

With the average person speaking over 100 words per minute, it is needless to say that words are important and we need to use them wisely. As we look to Christ Jesus as our example, we should always use our words to exalt, exhort, and exemplify His grace! As we do that we will be exhorting, praying, loving, greeting, forgiving, forbearing, teaching, admonishing, edifying, considering, and comforting one another in order to see them come to Christ or continue in Him.

This morning, ask the Lord to give you an opportunity to share the right words with the right people at the right time because words matter!

COVER YOUR EARS

            You cannot stop people's tongues, and therefore the best thing to do is to stop your own ears and never mind what is spoken. -Spurgeon

1 Corinthians 10:31, Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

            Let me help you, people will always talk. They will either talk good about the decisions you make or they will talk bad about the decisions you make. Either way, they’re going to talk. But I also know to consider three things;

Who is doing the talking? Is it someone you have respect for? Are they looking out for your best interest? Do they know something about the situation that you don’t?

What are they saying? The decision you made may have truly been a really dumb idea. You may want to take the counsel of that individual no matter who they are.

Finally, is what they are saying apply to me or are they way off base. They may not have all the information and respond without knowing everything but out of concern for you they step in to give advice. If this is the situation, thank them for their concern but let it go in one ear and out the other. Hey, they care enough to speak up!

            You don’t always have to respond to someone’s post on Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter, Tik Tok, or any other social media outlet. Just like you don’t have to listen to someone when they don’t have a clue about the whole situation. Cover your ears, hold back that response and understand people are going to talk. Let the Lord handle their tongue!

KEEP A WATCH ON YOUR TONGUE!

            You cannot stop people's tongues, and therefore the best thing to do is to stop your own ears and never mind what is spoken. -Spurgeon

I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: Psalm 39:1

            David isn’t like many people of our day, he actually cares about what the Lord hears him say. Folks today will tell a lie in a heartbeat, whine and complain if they don’t get their way, and blaspheme our Saviour’s holy name at the blink of an eye. People’s mouths are like a cancer not dealt with! The longer you don’t do something about it, the worse off it becomes!

Child of God, the Lord wants you to be holy and this includes your tongue! Guard it! Protect it! Cleanse it! You do that by putting the right things in your mind!

DON’T TRIP OVER YOUR OWN TONGUE!

It is bad to think ill, but it is much worse to speak it, for that implies consent to the evil thought and a willingness to infect others with it. -Henry

Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. Psalm 34:14

Boy sometimes I’m just like Andy Griffith, I want to pull the words I just spoke right back into my mouth. Now, I know you’re always perfect with your words and never make a comment out of place but I do and many times, I pay for it for a long time! (Now be honest, you do to…)

Friend, it would do us good to listen twice as much as we speak today. I mean, the Lord did give us two ears and one mouth! If we did, maybe, just maybe we wouldn’t trip over our own tongue as much as we do!

NO PROFANITY NEEDED

Profanity is the weak immature mind attempting to express itself.

Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. James 3:10

It is a sad day when one cannot even carry on a conversation with a grown adult without every other word coming out of their mouth being profane and vile. Yet, this is where we are at in America. Go to the checkout counter at the local grocery store and have a problem with the receipt. Visit your favorite restaurant and get the wrong order. Share your beliefs on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram and you will get an ear full of wicked words from foul mouths! Even worse is when it is from so called “Christians”.

Child of God, how is your testimony when it comes to the language you use? It doesn’t have to be vile and wicked. It could be just lazy lips gossiping about co-workers, fellow church members, or family. Zip those lips and save what you have to say to the Lord in prayer! Take your mom's advice, if you don't have anything good to say, don't say anything at all! 

"Zip your mouth before something flies out!"

Those who have few things to attend to are great babblers; for the less men think, the more they talk. –Montesquieu

A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it! Proverbs 15:23

Have you ever been around that person that has an answer for everything…no matter what it is? You’re sitting there talking about something you know they know nothing about and guess what…low and behold- they do! Not really but they feel the need to have an input for everything!

I am reminded of a little line: “It's better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than open it and remove all doubt”—Mark Twain