But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person.
MATTHEW 15:18 ESV
We women sure do know how to talk. With all these words flying out of our mouths, do we ever stop to think what exactly it is we’re saying? Are our words bringing life to our world or are they bringing death? Words contain great power, and when an unexpected storm rises up to confront us, how well we endure it is often determined by the words we speak.
A few years ago, I was in the USA during hurricane season, and I was watching the news as a huge storm was about to make landfall. A reporter was standing outside in full rain gear, practically being blown over as the winds grew stronger and stronger. The winds were so intense that he gripped onto a nearby pole for dear life. “Now that guy is committed!” I thought. “If only every Christian would be as dedicated to God’s Word during a crisis as this man is to reporting the news.”
This is a perfect picture of the posture we must have when the storms of life rise against us. Just as this reporter held on for dear life, we must hold fast to our confession of faith when “bad weather” hurtles toward us. This is not the time to pick up the phone and call Auntie Merriwether so you can whine and complain about your husband or lack thereof, or bemoan the impossibility of your financial struggles, or talk about how serious your health issues are and how you will probably die. I understand that sometimes fear, doubt, and uncertainty can feel overwhelming, but this is certainly not the time to use your word quota to reinforce those negative thoughts.
Let’s be careful to watch over our words and to choose wisely that which we allow to come out of our mouths. Instead of giving power to our fears, let’s speak life over our situation, our finances, our family, our marriage, and our relationships. Our words are a creative force and through words of faith, we can speak life into every circumstance.
MOMENT OF REFLECTION
What kind of words are you speaking over your life?