Pleasing God with our Words
It’s been a while since I’ve done a blog. Yet I feel impressed to share what I was meditating on this past week. The words of Psalm 19:14 kept running through my mind: Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer. As I pondered these words, I asked myself if my words, if my conversations with others, are pleasing and acceptable to the Lord Jesus. To be honest, there are probably times when they are not. Or if the words didn’t come through my mouth, my thoughts certainly did not escape the Lord’s notice. Let me clarify that the Lord knows our thoughts even as he hears our words. We are responsible before the Lord to speak in a way that Jesus would speak.
Ephesians 4:25-32 instructs us more specifically what that type of speaking would be. First, we must put away lying so that we always speak truth (v. 25) with whomever we are having a conversation with. To speak truth requires that we must know what is true and to be honest enough to admit when we’re not sure of what is true and when we are just stating an opinion. The definition of an opinion is to make a judgement without all the facts. Too often we speak our opinions as if they are the truth we want the world to live by. But truth is verifiable. God’s word if truth and should be the foundation of our lives.
Secondly, we are to be intentional to speak only what is good for necessary edification that it may impart grace to the hearers (v. 29). Wow! Do my words always impart grace? Do my words always build up someone else’s faith and trust in the Lord Jesus? I’ve had the privilege over the years of my life to be told on occasion that my words, just in casual conversation, have actually done that whether I was being intentional to do so or not. That should be our frequent testimony, though all of us have at times the opposite unfortunately. To speak words that build up and impart grace requires that we allow no corrupt word to proceed out of our mouths (v.29). Corrupt words are worthless words that do nothing to benefit either the speaker or the hearer. The very next verse states that speaking that way actually grieves the Holy Spirit. Yes, the Holy Spirit can actually experience grieve over what we say! Think on that a while!
Lastly, our words should be kind and full of tenderheartedness that stems from forgiveness, even without being asked to forgive, simply because we are a people who have been forgiven by God in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 4:32 states it this way: And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. Tenderhearted means that we are moved by compassion towards others, not frustration or annoyance. Compassion produces sympathy towards others.
To circle back to the beginning of this blog, the word meditation means to murmur to ourselves quietly with words that fill us with the Holy Spirit. It also means to sing to ourselves. We should sing songs that remind us of who Jesus is. I can only be as true, kind, and up-building in my words as I speak to myself first with words and music that brings life to my soul. I would encourage you today to try meditating in that way and see how it affects the conversations that you engage in with others. After all, you are a part of the family of God with the Holy Spirit walking alongside of you daily. When your words reflect that reality, they will please the Lord and be completely acceptable to him.