Life-Giving Conversations

Today I want to talk about something that is very near and dear to my heart, and getting more so with each passing day. All day, the Holy Spirit has put something on my heart that I cannot just simply “shake off”. He’s filled my soul with (holy) conviction over this topic, and it’s just something, I feel, that we all (myself included) could take a lesson in.

Today, I want to talk about words.

There are so, so many verses in the Bible that mention the importance and seriousness of our words.

“Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.”

Proverbs 16:24

“Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.”

Ephesians 4:29

“Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.”

Colossians 4:6

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat of the fruit thereof.”

Proverbs 18:21

“But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.”

Matthew 5:37

If you couldn’t tell from those verses, the things that we say matters. Whether we realize it or not, every word that comes out of our mouth makes a HUGE difference to those around us. The words that we speak on a daily basis become the life that others around us see us living.

Our words have the power to lift a soul up in love, or rip them apart in hatred and anger. They have power to turn someone’s entire day around, and in some cases, maybe even their life. So what are we saying? Life-giving, hopeful and truth-filled words, or angry, judgmental, and hurtful words? No matter the situation, we must always be careful about the things we say to others.

And God hears everything. He hears the words we mumble under our breath. He hears the encouragement and praise we give to other people. He hears the angry words that come out impulsively that, a lot of the time, we end up regretting later. He hears the rumors we spread or pass around. He hears when we tear others down and when we build them up. He hears when we tear ourselves down and build ourselves up. He hears the lies, the trues, the secrets, and the words that we know we shouldn’t say but say anyway. He hears the things that we never say out loud. He knows our every thought and every intention of our heart. And one day, when Jesus comes back to the earth and calls His people home, we will have to stand before the King of Kings Himself and give an account for everything we’ve ever done in this life – and that includes the things we’ve spoken while we were here.

When I think about that, the question comes to my mind, “how would I feel, if Jesus came back at this very moment, and I, without even a second to think about my answer, had to speak to Him the last words that I said to someone else?” or “what would I say if he were to ask me about the last conversation I had, and why I said the things I did?” And there’s always the thought, ‘well, the last conversation I had was good and encouraging, so I’d be fine if Jesus came back right now,’ which may not be the mindset that we should have.

So then is when we realize that it’s not just about that last conversation – it’s about all of them. Because we never know when we’re going to have our last conversation. Truth is, we’re not even promised our next one. And even if we were, that still would not change the fact that we will have to answer for everything we’ve ever said, not just those last few words that slipped out on accident.

Don’t misunderstand me here; I’m not saying that’s the first thing that Jesus is going to say to us when we finally stand before Him – I’m just using that as an example. Still, I wonder, what would He say to me about the conversations I’ve had over the past couple of days and/or weeks? Would He say, “I’m proud of you,” or would he say, “I’m disappointed in you”? Would he say “You’ve spoken my words faithfully,” or would He say, “I was not apart of any of your conversations”?

It’s so easy to get distracted and caught up in gossip, rumors, stories and other people’s business that has nothing to do with us. Even more so when the details are especially juicy. But just because it’s an easy thing to do, doesn’t make it right. It doesn’t make it okay – nothing does. Because whoever we’re talking about (or to) is still a human being at the end of the day. They still have feelings, struggles, regrets, and things that they go through that maybe we know nothing about. And while yes, they do things we don’t like or they make mistakes, so do we. We are just as guilty as they are, just perhaps in a different area of life, or in a different way. Reality is, we were all born in sin, none of us are perfect, and as much as we may boast about ourselves to other people, that reality will never change.

I want to start making the conscious decision each day to speak kind words. To speak truth, encouragement, and whatever else God puts on my heart. I also want to make the conscious decision to keep from saying the things that I shouldn’t. Whether it’s a nasty comment, what’s meant to be a simple joke, so-called “harmless” teasing, a rumor, the truth that is not mine to talk about, or even something that is said with good intentions, but comes out the wrong way, I want to be careful what I say in all aspects of life. I hope that the Lord continues to convict me of the things I’m involved in that He is not happy with.

Thank you for reading this random little post and I hope you got something out of it. Whether it be encouragement, Holy conviction, or, if nothing else, a good read. I hope you prosper each day in your relationship with God and I look forward to sharing more uplifting, truth-filled words with you. If you have any thoughts on this topic, feel free to share. I’m always open to a mature discussion. If you have any ideas of what I could write about next, feel free to comment those as well!

Jesus loves you!

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