“…on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak..”
Matthew 12:36
Well, didn’t that just stop me in my tracks this morning? I got up, brewed my tea, made my smoothie, and sat down to my Bible study thinking, “It sure would be nice to blog this morning…” I usually read my Bible study first, you know, so I don’t go off all half-cocked spouting nonsense as I have been wont to do. I try to ground myself in Scripture before I let my fingers fly, hoping that they will be directed toward His purposes, at least a little bit.
But didn’t He just step into my process and say, “Well, you know, not many people can speak about careless words quite as authentically as you can, dear.” Oy.
Ok, ok, I admit it. I have spoken a few careless words. Ok, fine. I’ve spoken a few careless words every time I have opened my mouth. I just love to hear myself talk, apparently. So things just fly out of me! All kinds of things. Careless things. They fly out of my mouth so quickly I sometimes surprise myself. When I say, “did I just say that out loud?” I really am asking out of disbelief. I shock myself.
Sure, sure, over the years, through some very difficult ‘learning opportunities’ I have acquired an ability to filter. Sometimes. But often, a thought pops into my head and out of my mouth before I even know what happened. I have tried and tried and tried to control my tongue. But here’s the thing. The problem isn’t with my tongue. It’s with my heart.
Matthew asks, “How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”
Have you ever met someone who truly has a pure heart? I actually have. Perhaps you know someone like this. They have something kind to say about everyone, in every situation. And, guys, they aren’t being fake. They really mean it! They have compassion, understanding, patience, and true humility in their hearts. So, when they open their mouths, the words that come out are compassionate, kind, understanding, patient, and humble.
If you listen carefully to my words, you will occasionally hear kindness and sometimes compassion, but often what you will hear is judgment, cynicism, distrust, and impatience. Our mouths reveal us for who we really are! And, in my case, it can be downright embarrassing! I really want to think the best of people. I really want to be encouraging, but I look at a situation, toss it around with what is inside my heart, and out of my mouth comes what I am thinking.
So, what can I do? There is only one solution — a heart transplant. Or at least reconstructive surgery. God has been in the business of remodeling my heart for going on fifty years. He’s done some miraculous work, actually. That’s why I am, at times, able to open my mouth and offer encouraging, compassionate, and thankful words. However, the full remodel won’t be done for quite some time, and occasionally I get trapped in one of the back rooms that haven’t been touched yet. If you try to talk to me when I’m in there, I’m likely to spout frustration, anger, and even hate. It ain’t pretty.
I’ve got to learn not to walk into those areas alone. When I go alone, all I can see are the problems — the holes in the wall, the stained carpets, the mold, and the broken windows. But, when the Designer comes with me, He shows me all the work that He’s already done — He’s poured a new foundation, He’s demolished strongholds, He’s got a plan. When He comes with me, all that frustration, anger, and hate melt away. All I can see is His goodness and compassion — His ability to rebuild what was once deemed condemned.
At those moments, my heart is full of hope, love, and understanding; when I see the transformative power He has had in my life, I am able to humbly speak that transformative power into the lives of others. However, when I wander off on my own, my heart gets full of fear, anger, and resentment. And in those moments, if I’m careless enough to open my mouth, I’m likely to regret it.
Sounds like a simple problem to fix, doesn’t it? Remind me of that later today when you hear me say something careless, will you?
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