If you want to know what’s in someone’s heart, take time to listen to the words coming out of their mouth.
Your words are like a stethoscope to your heart. They’ll reveal the good, bad, strong, and weak areas of your life. In order to change what is coming out of our mouths, we need to change what is going into our hearts and minds.
In the same way that our natural heart must be maintained and kept healthy and strong for the rest of our body to function properly, our “spiritual heart” must also be maintained to keep us healthy and strong spiritually. God tells us to guard our hearts with constant, persistent effort because our hearts will direct the course of our lives.
Speaking the wrong thing at the wrong time can cause a lot of problems. We need to learn to control our tongues and be responsible for the words we speak to our spouse and kids. Always remember, your words have the potential to give life, heal, encourage, and strengthen, or they can tear down, hurt, and destroy. Life and death are in the power of the tongue (Proverbs 18:21).
Let’s think before we speak and choose words that will bring life.
The Take Away:
Being able to control your tongue is a big part of growing up in Christ. Showing restraint in situations where you’d like to speak your mind or give your two cents worth is a sign of godly maturity. No matter the situation, train yourself to be slow to speak. “The right word at the right time is like a custom-made piece of jewelry, and a wise friend’s timely reprimand is like a gold ring slipped on your finger” (Proverbs 25:11-12 MSG).
