SWORD of the SPIRIT  1001

 “Stopped My Mouth”

 Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. (Romans 3:19)

 I used to have a plaque in my office with a prayer that read: “Oh Lord fill my mouth with worthwhile stuff and shut me up when I have said enough.”

Does your mouth need to be stopped? I know mine does. We sometimes speak impulsively only to regret having done so. It is impossible to take back our words once spoken. So what do we do? We speak more words trying to soften the blow or justify what we said. Instead of making things better, the more we continue to speak the deeper into trouble we get. Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble. (Proverbs 21:23)

Sometimes we need to be stopped from boasting. It is in our nature to compare ourselves to others and to boast that we are not as bad as they are. This happens in the context of our faith as well as in sports and in our workplaces. Yet God’s Word is clear: Your boasting is not good… (1 Corinthians 5:6)

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant. (1 Corinthians 13:4)

 Sometimes our mouth needs to be stopped from prideful or vengeful retaliation. My wife and I call such words ‘ding-dings’ and we are careful to hold each other accountable for such inflammatory talk. Words can be used as weaponry and when we are verbally attacked, insulted or ridiculed our natural tendency is to use words to strike back and we enter into verbal warfare. We see this demonstrated by children on playgrounds all the way to the upper echelons of our government. There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. (Proverbs 12:18)

God’s Word equally applies to social media communications in use today. Careless words spoken, typed, texted, or twittered are equally accountable to God because God looks at the heart. The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. (Luke 6:45)

 I tell you, on the Day of Judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matthew 12:36-37)

We cannot control our words by our own brute force of will. But no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. (James 3:8)

Control comes from the abiding presence of God’s Holy Spirit in our heart. Jesus demonstrated such control when He stood before Caiaphas and was falsely accused. May your prayer be as mine: Oh, Lord may my words be seasoned with Your grace and stop my mouth when I have said enough.