We need to pay attention to our words because our words are windows into our hearts. Our words expose our deepest thoughts – especially those words spoken under stress. Jesus told his disciples, “But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man ‘unclean.’ For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander” (Mt.15:18-19). He also declared, “The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks” (Lk.6:45).

In our unguarded moments, our words give us away. The words we speak, when we feel threatened or angry, expose thoughts and beliefs deep in our hearts. How many of us have spoken something hurtful, sinful, or unbelieving only to say later, “I don’t know where that came from, that’s not who I am?” I have certainly said that at times but, the truth is, the words came from part of who I am. To be sure, we are flesh and spirit, the new man and the old man, the spiritual man and the natural man. To be sure, the flesh wars against the spirit (see Romans 7), but our goal is to bring everything within us into alignment with the Father’s ways and the Father’s will.

Our words reveal places of misalignment in our hearts. Our words are clear indicators of areas that need the work of the Spirit and our cooperative efforts. Remember, unattended misalignment gives the devil entry into our thought life. Our words are a road map to the places in our spiritual walls that need repair. Pay attention to your words and don’t dismiss those that are misaligned as meaningless. Our words are symptomatic. They reveal spiritual health or spiritual weakness. A wise person will be encouraged by the health that he or she discovers and will take action on the areas of spiritual infirmity that are indicated.

Anything we speak that is contrary to or misaligned with God’s word, values, or priorities gives the enemy a place to slip into our lives and create havoc. The principal is illustrated in Paul’s letter to Ephesus where he counsels, “In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold” (Eph.4:26-27). Anger is a work of the flesh characterized in Galatians 5:20 as hatred, discord, rage, and dissensions. Paul allows that we may become angry and not sin. Anger is a very human emotion and even God is said to become angry at times (his being a righteous anger). However, when we hold on to our anger, nurture it, or refuse to forgive, then we are moving into the arena of sin.

The original word translated as foothold is topos. It means a place, a territory, or even a sanctuary. It was used of sacred places, including the high places where false gods and demons were worshipped. When we nurture our anger we give Satan a place, a sanctuary, or some territory in our lives. In the same way, words spoken frequently that are aligned with Satan rather than with the Father, can give Satan a foothold as well. Eventually, a foothold will become a stronghold and Satan will wield tremendous influence in some part of our lives because he will strongly influence our thinking in that area. Our words will reveal that influence but it may take others to point out how misaligned we are in that slice of our life because the Satan is a master deceiver.

A wise person, then, will monitor his speech and ask others to alert him to speech that is misaligned with God’s truth.  Our words are symptoms of something in our heart that may need to be touched by the grace and healing power of God or that may need the balm of repentance.  They are great indicators of spiritual and emotional health or a lack of health and, like blood pressure, need to be checked on a regular basis.  Remember, the tongue has the power of life or death.  Choose life.

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Ephesians 4:29-30

When we think of unwholesome talk we typically think of vulgar expressions, sexual innuendo, coarse talk, and so on. The word in the original language is sapros. Greek scholars say that the word relates to anything causing decay or rot. It can be used to denote the ravaging and disgusting effects of disease on a human body. Leprosy comes to mind. It can also speak of an adverse fate or future. All in all, it connects unwholesome words to expressions that cause decay, weakness, illness or that lead to a negative future.

Instead of unwholesome words, we are to speak words that build up and benefit. The idea of building up is to strengthen or to draw out the potential in someone. The word translated as benefit carries with it the flavor of a gift given out of love or a grace given to someone as God gives to us out of his grace.

An amplified translation of Ephesians 4:29-30 might read, “Let no words come out of your mouth that impart weakness or decay that leads to death. Do not speak words that diminish another or that rob him or her of a full future. Rather speak words over others that build them up, that develop their potential, and that impart strength. Speak out of love. Let your words be life-giving gifts, given out of grace rather than because someone has earned the words or merits your encouragement.”

If you think about it, Paul’s words line up well with Proverbs 18:21, “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” The implication of the Ephesians passage is that words spoken to injure or diminish someone do actually damage the recipient. That loveless action on our part grieves the Holy Spirit. Lovelessness on our part is always sin because it violates the very nature of God, who is love. We sin when we wound by our actions or our words.

We live in a world so saturated with words that we barely pay attention to what we say or even what others say. Yet, God pays attention. One of the most sobering passages in the New Testament comes from Matthew’s gospel. Jesus said, “But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned” (Mt.12:36-37).

Words have power. The words of God created a universe out of nothing. We are made in his image. At some level, our words have power to create as well – for good or for evil. We need to measure our words and govern them. I know people who say whatever comes to mind and take pride in their frankness and openness. But in many ways they are like someone firing a gun randomly into a crowd and then denying responsibility for those injured because they “didn’t mean any harm.”

As the people of God, we are to always be sources of life and blessing. The Holy Spirit should flow out of us like living waters into the world around us. We are to be constant sources of blessing – speaking wholesome worlds that build up, encourage, heal, and that draw out the potential for goodness and greatness in people. If our style is to criticize, find fault, or belittle others, we need to repent. God has placed the potential for good in every human being. Our words need to draw that out, reinforce the potential, and create in the other person an identity of goodness and greatness. Our words should always bless and never curse.

The world needs a good word. There is something in nearly every person that responds to encouragement, someone believing in us, and a call to greatness. Our words can either kindle that response or quench it. Choose to be a source of life to everyone you encounter today. See what a difference it makes for them and even for your own heart. Blessings in Him.

I wanted to give you a little culture correction moment as our culture continually pressures us to turn our backs on biblical truths in the name of Science. I want to share a lengthy quote from Dr. Caroline Leaf, a top neuroscience researcher who, along with many others, is doing cutting edge research on the brain.

We have been living under a myth called the gene myth, which locates the ultimate power over health and mental well-being in the untouchable realm of genes, relegating them to the level of gods. This myth has bound the mental and physical health as well as the peace and happiness of too many people for too long. Almost daily, another headline pops up with the highly fashionable concept of a gene for this or a gene for that. You are an alcoholic or depressed or battle with learning disabilities or whatever. Genes may create an environment within us in which a problem may grow, a predisposition, but they do not produce the problem; we produce it through our choices …

Genes have been made out to be responsible for feelings, spirituality, beliefs, even things like the enjoyment of music – all human behavior, to the extent of determining human affairs, human relation ships, and social problems. In fact, genetic predisposition has become entrenched in popular culture to the extent that phrases like ‘she has good genes’ and ‘he was born that way’ are commonplace. This thinking removes choice and accountability from the equation and is scientifically and spiritually inaccurate. You control your genes, your genes do not control you. Genes may determine physical characteristics but not psychological phenomena.

Outstanding research has been done by Dr. Gail Ironson…at the University of Miami. She found that the most significant factor that made a difference in healing for those with HIV was their choice to believe in a benevolent and loving God. Her study ran over four years…those who did not believe God loved them lost T-cells (powerful cells that attack diseases) three times faster, their viral load increased three times faster, and their stress levels were higher, with damaging amounts of cortisol flowing.

Dr. Ironson summarizes her research by saying, “If you believe God loves you, it’s an enormously protective factor, even more protective than scoring low for depression or high for optimism. A view of a benevolent God is protective. But scoring high on the personalized statement ‘God loves me’ is even stronger.” (Dr. Caroline Leaf, Switch on Your Brain, p.51-52).

The newest research is showing that what we choose to believe and say, altars even our genes and DNA. Renewing our mind with the word of God (Rom.12:12) and coming into alignment with what he says  about us and who we are is even more transforming than many of us ever thought – not just at a spiritual or emotional level but even at the core of who we are physically.

It turns out that mind (what we choose to think and act on) has substance that, like the tongue, truly has the power of life or death. Contrary to culture, the newest science is confirming God’s Word at every turn – not making it irrelevant but more relevant that ever. By the way, Dr. Leaf is a strong believer in Jesus as well as being a brilliant researcher.

“Son of man, can these bones live?” That was the question God asked the prophet in the 37^th chapter of Ezekiel. As I said in my last blog, Israel had been defeated three times within two decades by Babylon- the reigning heaving weight champion of the Middle East in that era. In the final round, Babylon had destroyed Jerusalem, burned the temple and stripped it of all its treasures, and deported the last of Israel’s best and brightest professionals. On top of that, the Ark of the Covenant disappeared and with it the presence of God. No historian, politician, or military expert would have given them a chance to ever rise from the ashes as a nation. A valley of dead, bleached bones of a long defeated army was the scene symbolizing Israel’s condition and the question was, “Can these bones live?”

Ezekiel responded with wisdom. “O Sovereign Lord, you alone know.” The right answer is always, “God, it’s up to you.” Our first step toward breathing life into something dead or dying is to know and acknowledge that the issue is beyond our ability. How often do we keep trying to fix an issue – a marriage on the brink of collapse, a child on drugs who is slipping away from us, a bad situation at work with a miserable boss, etc. – only to keep making it worse?  The right answer is always God.

In the book of Zechariah, the Lord prophesies the return of the scattered Israelites to the promised-land and great standing for them in the world community. The promise would have been impossible for man but not for the God of all the Earth. “ Then he said to me, ‘This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of host’” (Zec.4:6). His point was the same as Ezekiel’s: There are many things in this world that will never happen by the best efforts of men, but can become realities by the Spirit of God.

Other than health or natural disaster, most of our problems in the world revolve around relationships whether between individuals or nations. Relationship problems exist because of emotional brokenness – hate, fear, insecurities, bigotry, loneliness, depression, rejection, etc. manifest in rage, bitterness, addictions, war, violence and so forth. The best efforts of man aim at alleviating symptoms through drugs or therapies that teach us to cope or manage our issues. But the real issues lie deep within the heart which is touched by a spiritual dimension and is God’s special arena. Jesus came to heal broken hearts (Isa.61:1-4) and God promised over and over that by his Spirit he would heal and give men a new heart (see Ps.147:3; Ezek.11:19; Ezek.36:26; Heb.8:10). Dry bones only come to life by the work of the Spirit of God – but we have an essential role in that work.

Once Ezekiel affirmed that only God can give life to the dead, God commanded him to prophesy over the bones. “Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life” (Ezek.37:4). So why didn’t God just wave his hand over the field of dry bones and have them jump to their feet? The answer is simple – it’s not how God has chosen to work in the earth. God has chosen to work through his people. Most of the time, God chooses not to do something for us but rather with us. Doing something with us builds the relationship between God and us. When my girls were young, I discovered that I could do projects for them (often more quickly and easily), but when we did them together they learned some new skills and we built our relationship by the doing. We were able to celebrate what we had accomplished together. God chooses to work in the same way with his children.

God had already determined to release the power of his Spirit into those bones but would not release the power until Ezekiel prophesied. In a sense, God had already loaded the gun but he left it to Ezekiel to point and pull the trigger. Only then would the power of God’s word be released.

How many of us keep asking God to do something, when we already know it is his will, rather than declaring his will over the issue? We already know that God desires all men to be saved, all marriages to be reconciled, all hearts to be healed, his church to be glorious, etc. It is not wrong to ask God to heal, empower, release etc. but then we need to begin to speak or declare life, healing, restoration, and power over the things we are praying about. Remember, the tongue has the power of life and death (Prov.18:21). As Ezekiel began to declare God’s word over the dry bones, they began to rattle. More in my next blog.

Enough about curses. In this last segment on words, let’s move on to the empowering and encouraging aspect of our words. God has placed us on this planet and called us into his kingdom to rule on his behalf. In order to do that, he has given us authority and authority is expressed through words.

Jesus came as a man. His most used self-descriptor in the gospels was Son of Man. One of the reasons he came as a man was to demonstrate the life that each of us can have as we walk in fellowship with the Father. What Jesus did, we can do. Jesus lived a life as a representative of the Father expressing his authority and directing the power of heaven through his words.

Through words he commanded men to be healed, demons to depart, the dead to come forth, storms to cease, lepers to be cleansed, blind eyes to see, and lame men to leap. His words released the power of heaven into situations on earth. His words were powerful because he was declaring the Father’s will over individuals and circumstances. Jesus said, “For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it” (Jn.12:49). Remember God’s word to Isaiah. “So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it” (Isa.55:11). When God’s word goes forth it will accomplish his purposes whether from the lips of the Father, his Son, or those who represent him – his sons and daughter’s on the earth.

If it is a specific word and a fresh word from the Lord it is powerful. If it is a declaration, a prayer, or a command that expresses his will as revealed in scripture it is also powerful. Our words release God to fulfill his intentions on the earth. We do not control God but God, in his own sovereignty, has determined to rule in partnership with his people and, in many cases, he waits on us to declare his word over circumstances he wishes to change before he acts. Most of us understand that concept when it comes to healing or deliverance or provision. But what about the process of shaping the lives of people?

God’s word is compared to a seed in numerous places in the scripture. It goes forth carrying an innate power to produce life. In the right environment it will grow and bear abundant fruit. Many prophetic words are words that God is broadcasting with the potential to produce what has been declared if they are accompanied by faith and obedience. Sometimes the faith is in the one who receives the word. Sometimes the faith is in the one who declares the word.

Speaking life over people is simply declaring God’s will and God’s truth over a person. Like watering a seed, we are calling out the potential for good and greatness that God has placed in every person. We are calling out their destiny in Christ. Our words, because we have authority, impart power to that potential. When we encourage one another, build up one another, or bless one another we are imparting power to the potential God has placed in each of his children. When we call out gifts, faith, leadership, salvation, success, or godliness in others we are releasing the work of the Spirit in those individuals to produce what we are calling out. That is speaking life over others (or ourselves) rather than death. That is blessing rather than cursing. We are doing more than expressing sentiment; we are releasing the power of heaven because we represent heaven. This is especially true as we declare life and destiny over children.

So…measure your words. Be intentional. Be life-giving. Words matter because they have power. Recognize the power God has placed in your mouth and use it to administer God’s grace in every life and every situation – including your own and be blessed!

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. James 3:10

When we speak of cursing today we usually think of swearing or cussing or simply saying hateful things to someone with whom we are angry. In our minds we limit the damage to hurt feelings or broken relationships. The Bible views curses as much more serious because they have a spiritual dimension to them.

In Numbers 22, we find an interesting account. Israel had moved into the region of Moab. Balak, the king of Moab, felt threatened by their presence. He went to a man named Balaam and declared, “Now come and put a curse on these people, because they are too powerful for me. Perhaps then I will be able to defeat them and drive them out of the country. For I know that those you bless are blessed, and those you curse are cursed” (Num.22:6) But God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them. You must not put a curse on those people, because they are blessed” (Num.22:12).

Balak had seen the power of Balaam’s words over people and situations. Those over whom he spoke blessings seemed to be blessed and those over whom he had spoken curses seemed to be cursed. The interesting thing is that God took him seriously and instructed him to speak a curse over those whom God had blessed. How do we make sense of that in our world?

It is not that words have power in themselves but they have authority to set things in motion in the spiritual realm. A curse releases forces in the spiritual realm to come against a man, a family, or a nation to work for negative outcomes in the natural realm. Before you write that notion off, think of a curse as a kind of prayer. We pray to God and ask him to set forces in motion to bring blessings and positive outcomes to ourselves, our families, and people we care about. We pray for health, provision, protection, direction and all kinds of things and expect God to mobilize his angels or to work through his Spirit to create positive outcomes for those we bless.

A curse is a kind of a prayer than mobilizes forces in the spiritual realm to hinder blessings and bring about negative outcomes in the life of the individual over which it has been spoken and Satan is very eager to take the curse as his authority to come against those who have been cursed. Satan is always poised to kill, steal and destroy and he is simply looking for the legal right to do so. A curse may give him that right.

If you are reading this blog, you probably already believe in the God-given authority of believers to command, declare, and pray for kingdom outcomes in lives, situations and nations. If our words have authority, how much more should we guard our words so that we do not release a curse over others either purposely or carelessly. We should always speak blessings because our words can set demonic forces in motion to enforce any curse we speak over others. As I have already said in this series, we may not take our words seriously but the spiritual realm does.

Our words don’t have to be formal curses. They can simply be expressions of ill will or judgments over others: Your worthless! You’ll never amount to anything! I wish you were dead! You’re going to end up in prison just like your worthless father! Etc. We can even speak curse over ourselves in the same tone. I don’t believe every careless word is enforced as a curse by demons but I do believe that if we say it often enough or with enough venom, the demonic realm may answer. I also know that there are man and women today who do pronounce formal curses over God’s work and God’s people. Maybe someone has even spoken a curse over you or your family even in past generations. I will discuss that in our next blog. Until then, be a constant source of blessing even toward your enemies (see Luke 6:27-28).

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Ephesians 4:29-31

If we were to take a survey at any church and ask the members what they considered to be “unwholesome talk” they would most likely identify unwholesome as coarse or sexual language. In his statement to the church at Ephesus, however, the apostle Paul seems to include a much wider range of spoken things than that. From the scripture above, we might conclude that Paul thought of unwholesome talk as anything that tore down or diminished a person rather than building him or her up.

That view seems to be confirmed by the list of things Paul commands us to jettison from our lives…bitterness, rage, anger, brawling and slander, and every form of malice. Malice means to hold ill-will or spitefulness toward another person. So, things we might blurt out in anger or words we might share over coffee that slandered another person’s reputation or character (gossip) would fall under the umbrella of unwholesome words. Put-downs, constant criticism, or sarcasm would also find their way into this category of words that tear down rather than building up.

The gist of the command is that we should be a people whose words constantly build up the people around us and that call out the best in them. To do less grieves the Holy Spirit who lives within us. Unwholesome words grieve the Spirit because they are contrary to his character and his nature. In a world of hurt, our words should always be a source of healing. The wise man said, “Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing” (Prov. 12:18). James said it this way, “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?” (Ja.3:9-11). Salt water kills living plants and humans while fresh water brings life. Our words should impart life because our God is a God of life.

Words matter because they have the power to build up or tear down. The heart of God is to build up and the to call out the destiny and greatness he has placed inside every human being. Whatever your emotional or relational struggles are in life they usually relate to early experiences of rejection, constant criticism, abuse, or fear. Most of that came in the form of words. Words can wound or words can heal. God calls on us to be encouragers, healers, comforters, and those who build up the people that the world has torn down. Anything short of that falls in the category of unwholesome and honestly constitutes sin. David declared, “I have resolved that my mouth will not sin” (Ps. 17:3). We should resolve the same.

If you want to change the world around you or even want to change yourself, you may want to start with your own words. Examine your words. In one sense, our heart determines our words but in another sense our words affect our hearts. It is a two-way street. The things we speak consistently eventually are written on our hearts. Speak as God would have you speak and you will become more like God in your heart. Speak life not death; encouragement rather than criticism; greatness rather than failure; and words that always build up rather than tearing down. Your words have impact for good or for evil. You choose the fruit that your words produce.

(Thoughts on blessing and cursing in Friday’s blog.)

But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned. Matthew 12:36-37

I want to start a series on “our words” because they have far more impact than we imagine and the spiritual realm takes our words much more seriously than we do. To begin the series I have listed a few verses about our words that you may want to reflect on over the weekend for some devotional time before I start commenting on them. The words of Jesus quoted above are quite sobering so I hope you (we) will take these verses to heart.

 Though you probe my heart and examine me at night, though you test me, you will find nothing; I have resolved that my mouth will not sin. Psalm 17:3

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14

Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies. Psalm 34:12-13

Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. Proverbs 12:18

The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit. Proverbs 18:21

When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise. Proverbs 10:19

Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few. Ecc.5:2

 But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man. Matthew 15:18

The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks. Luke 6:45

Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouth but only that which is good for building up the other person according to their needs. Ephesians 4:29

Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.   The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness.  Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. James 3:5-10

Alignment with God is the key to healing, the key to freedom, and the key to ministering in power through the gifts of the Spirit.  These gifts are treasures entrusted to us by our heavenly Father to be enjoyed and used for the sake of others. Numerous teachings in the New Testament alert us to the principle that we must prove to be faithful stewards of the small things before the Master will entrust larger things to us.  Faithful stewardship implies that we manage what has been entrusted to us in the same way the Master would if he were present.  The best way to insure the alignment between the Master and the steward is for them to have the same values, vision, and goals.

Another way to speak about that alignment is to say that their hearts are aligned.  God delighted in David because he was a “man after God’s own heart.”  David loved the things God loved and hated the things God hated. The greater the Old Testament prophet, the more his heart was aligned with the Father’s.  God used prophets whose hearts were not aligned with his (Jonah for instance) but certainly not in the same ways he used Elijah, Elisha, Ezekiel, Daniel, Moses, etc.  God accomplished earth-shaking things through these men because he was willing to entrust the power and the prophecy of heaven to them.  He did so because their hearts were aligned with his.

Jesus said a great deal about the heart. Just a few quotes are:

Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God.  (Matt. 5:8).

For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them. (Matt. 13:15)

For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what make a man ‘unclean’; but eating with unwashed hands does not make him ‘unclean.’ (Matt.15:19-20)

 For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.  (Matt. 12:34)

This last scripture is most enlightening.  We all want to believe that our hearts are aligned with God’s heart. When we are in church and while we are hanging out with leaders in our churches we typically guard our words and say all the right things. Our words in those settings reflect the values, the perspectives, and the heart of Jesus.  But what about in other settings?

It’s amazing how often married couples come to me with detailed reports of what has been going on behind closed doors at home. These are usually long-time believers who have been serving faithfully in the church and who are well thought of.  But at home, behind closed doors when their words are not guarded, incredibly hurtful and nearly pornographic language pours out in the midst of their fights.  When it’s over they want to blame each other for making them so angry or they want to play the “I didn’t really mean it” card.  I know that we all say and do things that we regret later, but Jesus challenges us with the idea that our unguarded words reveal things that are in our hearts.  Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. If our hearts are full of love, mercy, compassion, faith, etc., words come out that reflect those qualities-even in unguarded moments.  If our heart is full of pain, resentment, distrust, lust, unbelief, or lies then those qualities show up as well.

The words we speak are interesting, however, because not only do our hearts influence our words but out words influence our hearts. The words we choose to say in every circumstance can train our hearts.  Paul tells us that if we confess with our mouths that Jesus in Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised him from the dead we will be saved. (See Rom.10:9). In the Hebrew mind there is often a causative connection between two things joined by the conjunction “and.”  We recognize the same principle.  For instance, we might say that we went to the beach and got sunburned.  Although those are two different things, the first contributed directly to the second.  With that in mind, confessing with our mouths can deepen the belief in our hearts. In other words, the words we speak come from the heart but words spoken consistently can also train the heart.

In his book, Approaching the Heart of Prophecy, Graham Cooke said something I really liked.  The gift of prophecy under the new covenant is intended to comfort, strengthen and encourage people – always.  However, some with the gift do not always comfort or encourage.  In that context, Cooke says, “In tough situations we must ask God what the need is.  Do we need something? Does the other person need something?  Instead of speaking out the first nasty thing that comes to mind, we must settle into the Spirit of God and speak a word of edification. If we can get into a lifestyle of gracious speaking in our everyday conversations, our prophetic ability will grow in leaps and bounds. The heartbeat of God will become clearer and clearer to us” (page 17).

In other words, when God can trust us to speak comfort, encouragement, and strength to others then he will entrust us with greater gifts to steward because our hearts are aligned with his.  Our words will be evidence of that.  I’m not talking about our public words but our private words.  Those are the real indicators of what is in our hearts.

If we want to receive healing, freedom, ministry, and powerful gifts of the Spirit then we should become students of our own words.  They will point us to areas of brokenness in our hearts, areas where healing is needed, or repentance and will show us where our perspective are skewed.  Then we can submit those issues to the cross and the Spirit for correction.  We must also begin to speak as God would speak in every situation. When we misspeak we shouldn’t excuse it or blame others but learn from it. Relive the moment. Ask the Spirit how he would have had you speak in that situation.  Rehearse that in your mind and ask the Spirit to give you that response next time.  In doing so you will be training your heart while your heart is being healed.

All spiritual gifts are expressions of God’s grace that he wants us to administer to others (See 1 Pet.4:10).  As our hearts and words become more gracious, he can entrust more to us. Even anger doesn’t excuse ungracious words.  Paul told us to be angry and sin not.  Instead, we should remember, “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone” (Col.4:6). This is one more key to freedom and power in the kingdom of God.  Today be blessed and be a blessing to others with your words.

I’ve just finished teaching a short series on the supernatural power of words in the life of a believer.  I need to teach on the power of our words from time to time because I need to be reminded.  As believers, we need to continually guard our hearts and minds so that we are not hijacked by our culture.

Right now, every time I turn on the news or a talk show, my blood pressure goes up almost instantaneously.  The constant war of words on the airways is irritating.  Solomon said, “Where there are many words, sin is not absent” (Prov.10:19).  That must be more true today that at any time in history.  Culturally, truth seems to have been put on the top shelf of the closet to be brought out only on very rare occasions.

It seems that everyone has become a “spin doctor”.  Everyone claims that the words they spoke clearly last week do not mean what you thought they meant.  In fact, they mean just the opposite even though the videotape contradicts the claim. It seems that the most responsibility anyone will take for the hugely inaccurate things spoken a week ago is that they were not as clear as they should have been. That’s like me telling you  (Col.3:9) that I want you to paint my living room “sage green” and after you do so, I tell you that what I said was “canary yellow” and I expect you to repaint it.  After you protest, I simply say that you misunderstood or, perhaps, I wasn’t as clear as I should have been but you still need to absorb the time and cost because you should have understood “sage green” to mean “canary yellow.”  That kind of communication makes us all crazy.

In a culture that decided decades ago that all truth is relative and that everyone has his or her own truth, this kind of double talk should probably be expected.  My concern is that we, as believers, might be infected with the same mind set that words really don’t matter and that we should never be held accountable for what we say.  But, as Christians, we don’t live in a kingdom where “truth is relative.”  We live in a kingdom where truth is absolute and unchanging. We live in a kingdom where we are to speak the truth in love (Eph.4:15),  put away all lying (Col.3:9), and let our “Yes” be “Yes” and our “No” be “No” (Mt.5:37).

Words are extremely important.  In fact, Jesus tells us that on the Day of Judgment we will have to give account for every careless word (Mt.12:36).  We are ambassadors of Christ on an alien planet.  We should always reflect the culture of heaven and the character of our King in everything we say. In fact, in every circumstance we should try to sense what our King would say, if he were present, and speak only as he would speak.  Words have power.   As a believer, a priest, a king, and an ambassador of Christ in the earth, your words have authority and power. Jesus spoke, not as the Son of God but as the Son of Man and see what power his words carried.

Our words have amazing potential to create good or evil both in the natural and spiritual realms. God is very clear that he wants our lips to be a source of life not death to every person and every circumstance.  He is clear that fresh, life-giving water is to come forth from our hearts rather than salt water which brings death when given to often to living things. We are to be a constant source of blessing, rather than cursing, and we should speak clearly with integrity as a people who do what we say because our Father always does what he says.  May our words be pleasing to God (Ps.19:14) and may our speech be unique in our culture.  Peter called on us to speak as if we are speaking the very words of God (1 Pet. 4:11). In doing so we will be set apart from the world around us. May we be honest, kind, and yet direct in the things we say and may our words be full or grace and life to all those around us…and by the way, that includes the things we say to our spouse and children behind closed doors.   Be blessed.