Words from the Rock
A good tree produces only good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. You can tell what a tree is like by the fruit it produces. . . . Your words show what is in your hearts. Good people bring good things out of their hearts, but evil people bring evil things out of their hearts. I promise you that on the day of judgment, everyone will have to account for every careless word they have spoken.
Matthew 12:33–36 CEV
If you saw a restaurant with golden arches, you’d assume it was McDonald’s, and maybe you’d begin to salivate for fries. If you saw a shoe with a swoosh, you’d guess it was Nike, and maybe you’d have a sudden urge to run. Those are brands—little signals that tell you what you’re getting into. Sort of like if you saw apples growing on a tree, you’d realize you were looking at an apple tree.
Jesus says that your words are kind of like that. They’re like signals of what’s going on inside you. If you go around spouting negativity, or you slam people, or you complain about everything, that’s a symptom that not all is well inside you. By the same token, if you speak positively, or if your words are kind and encouraging, that probably means you’re allowing God to change you. Or else you’re really good at covering things up. And while some people attempt to fake others out with sugarcoated words, the truth comes through eventually.
But there’s another reason Jesus warns about words. It’s because he knows how powerful they are. He knows that words have the power to heal or to kill. He knows that someday we’ll all have to explain what was going on with our words . . . and there might be some apologies due.
Think about it. Have you ever been hurt by someone’s words? Is it possible that you’ve hurt others in that same way? So listen to yourself. Listen to the tone of your voice and the words coming out of your mouth. And think of those words like a brand—a signal of what’s inside. If you don’t like what you’re hearing, ask God to help you change it.
My Prayer
Dear God,
Help me to realize that my words are important—but not as important as the condition of my heart. Please help me to sound and look more like you.
Amen.
Final Word
Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
John 15:4 NIV
Stone for the Journey
As God changes my heart, my words will follow.