Do Words Matter?
I was raised in a culture that lived by the motto;
‘Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.’
We now live in a culture where some believe the motto;
‘Silence is violence!’
Within 1 generation, we have turned a completely opposite direction culturally.
One thing that has NOT changed; Self-Centered behavior.
What is sad though, is just how it is today, as it was in the early Bible times.
It is completely infecting people within the church.
So do words matter, or really…is does it really start with the motives?
☆ If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless.
• James 1:26
The Lord is always very clear to us;
– That we are to esteem others more.
– That we are to look out for the interests others.
– That we are to do unto others, as we would have them do to us.
That can only come from the heart.
But sadly, and even in the church today, the narcissism of self absorbed people show that feelings only matter when they belong to the most important person to them;
THEMSELVES!
So, what we see way too often, are people who, in their desire to protect their ‘feelings’, will stomp all over other people’s feelings.
Because unfortunately, only what they want; their peace, freedom and happiness, is the only thing that is relevant to them.
Worse, is if that peace, freedom & happiness that they want, comes at the cost of injuring someone else’s peace, freedom & happiness, not only will it be that they just don’t care, they probably don’t even realize that they are harming someone else.
So do the words matter, or is it really starting with their motives?
Because God told us all about those people too.
☆ The mouth speaks what the heart is full of.
• Matthew 12:34
A person will really show themselves by how they speak to you.
Their tone, body language and expressions can sometimes say more than their words.
The unspoken can sometimes ‘say’ the opposite.
Then when you combine the words that they are saying with the history of their actions…and see how those do not match up, well, that makes it hard to believe, trust or even hear the words that are being said.
The Christian who is absorbed with self, will not think on how their words will impact others.
– They will only want to get out their opinion.
– They will only want to get their point across.
– They will only want to have you know what they think
– They will only want to prove to everyone that they’re right.
Please know this Christian;
This can be a very dangerous predicament for you to be in.
Do your words matter to you? Do you think of your motives?
Because you WILL have to answer for them.
☆ I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak,
• Matthew 12:36
That is why Christ asks us to die to self.
So we can think of others first.
– When we put others before ourselves, we care about them.
– When we put others before ourselves, we listen more than we speak.
– When we put others before ourselves, we do what we can to help.
– When we put others before ourselves, we love.
Then;
Giving becomes more important to us, than taking from others.
Being at peace, becomes so much more important than being right.
Showing love, is so much more important than showing how much you know.
Let The Word pierce our hearts, so that we yearn to live in that kind of love.
That way we will honor God, as we have respect in ourselves, in the way we speak to others.
Because we will then have changed our motives, so we will now have changed our words.
☆ Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.
• Ephesians 5:4
Do words matter?
You bet!
But Motives Matter More!
I have first hand, closely related experience in this topic, and pray for all of you to walk in HIS light, and speak with HIS compassion, so you example HIS love.
I love you guys!
