Category: impact of our words

• True or False: Your thoughts run your life?

  Posted at 7:00 am by sneuhofer, on November 5, 2018

  TRUE! To find out why…read on…

  Psalm 19:14 (NKJV) Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.

  This verse takes me back to Sunday mornings sitting on a church pew next to my parents. I can still hear those words just as clearly now as I did some 40 years ago. You see, I grew up in church and my family spent most of the day Sunday and Wednesday evenings at church services or serving in some capacity. I can remember hearing the Pastor pray these words all the time just before he began his sermon. It wasn’t until I was much older that I realized they had come from Psalm 19.

  This morning as I re-read these words I had to ask myself a few questions:

  • Are the words of my mouth acceptable/pleasing to God?
  • Does the contents of my heart show evidence that I am a Christ-follower?

  In the gospel of Luke (6:45) we are reminded that “the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”

  So what is my heart full of? I would like to think that my words and actions are a reflection of God’s love to those around me 100% of the time…but that wouldn’t be true. The truth is, sometimes the words that come rolling out of my mouth are harsh and come from a pretty angry heart. I am so thankful for God’s mercy and grace. He is so patient with me.

  This week, I challenge you to pray this verse each morning as a prayer of surrender. Humbly surrender your words and thoughts to Him. Determine that God’s love will guide what you say and how you say it.

  Related scripture: Proverbs 4:23, Psalm 139:23 – 24

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  Posted in guard your heart, impact of our words | 1 Comment

• Reckless words: A reflection of the contents of our heart

  Posted at 7:00 am by sneuhofer, on January 12, 2018

  James 3:6 (NCV) And the tongue is like a fire. It is a whole world of evil among the parts of our bodies. The tongue spreads its evil through the whole body. The tongue is set on fire by hell, and it starts a fire that influences all of life.

  Words hurt. Have you ever been there? Someone chooses to use reckless words in the heat of an argument and you instantly feel the crushing blow to every fiber of your being. You feel so insignificant, so small, so cut down by the words someone else has spoken.

  The words of James chapter 3 reminded me that the tongue, even though a small part of the body, can make a huge impact. Have you ever said something to someone and once the words were out, you wished you could take back? I sure have. I have carelessly used my words to hurt. I guess in the heat of an argument it’s easy to do.  But just because it’s the “heat of the moment” doesn’t make it that less damaging. God’s word says “People speak the things that are in their hearts.” (Luke 6:45 NCV) YIKES!

  When I let my words carelessly “run rampant” it’s a display of those things that are in my heart. DOUBLE YIKES! What words have you said lately that are not a reflection of the love of Jesus in your heart? Have your words been full of anger, jealousy, bitterness, rudeness, and gossip or have they encouraged those around you and brought glory to our Father in heaven.

  I know I have set those people that are closest to me “on fire” with the words I have hastily spewed out of my mouth…and that makes me sad. The last thing I want to do is bring a paralyzing blow with my words. I want my words to be full of love and life. When people hear me speak, I want them to hear the goodness and kindness of Jesus.

  Hiding God’s word in my heart and consistent prayer are two things I can do to change the contents of my heart. If I work toward replacing my thoughtless words with God’s word, I am disciplining myself to speak words of grace, truth and life.

  Father, help me to hide your word in my heart so that when I speak, the words that flow will be full of love and grace. Forgive me for careless words I have spoken to others. Help me to replace “words of death” with “words of life.” Amen

  Additional scripture:
  Luke 6:45 (NIV)  A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

  Proverbs 12:18 (NIV) The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

  Proverbs 15:4 (NIV) The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.

  

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  Posted in hurtful words, impact of our words, reckless words | 1 Comment

• Anger sparks reckless words

  Posted at 8:45 am by sneuhofer, on September 26, 2017

  Proverbs 29:20 (GW)Have you met a person who is quick to answer? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

  The words “quick to answer” leapt off the page as I read Proverbs 29. Other translations use “speaks in haste” and “speak too quickly.” I had to immediately think about how many times I have allowed something to roll off my tongue before even thinking. Someone says something and an angry spark prompts my tongue to speak a snide response before my brain can even process what’s transpiring. I know I have…the split second the words are out of my mouth, my brain engages and I realize their impact…I may have just marred someone I care about because I failed to think before I spoke. UGH! The struggle is real.

  The second part of verse 20 was a reminder for me of what God thinks about my impulsive responses. “There is more hope for a fool” than a man (or woman) who is hasty with his words.”

  OUCH!

  So am I the only one squirming on a hook here? Or have you found yourself in a similar situation?

  God is not the author of our angry or hasty words. In fact in Ecclesiastes 5:2, Solomon (the wisest man in the world – 1 Kings 4:29-34) tell us to “let our words be few.” I also like the reminder found in James 1:19 – 21. The Message paraphrase says it best:

  Post this at all the intersections, dear friends: Lead with your ears, follow up with your tongue, and let anger straggle along in the rear. God’s righteousness doesn’t grow from human anger. So throw all spoiled virtue and cancerous evil in the garbage. In simple humility, let our gardener, God, landscape you with the Word, making a salvation-garden of your life.

  I don’t want to be considered a fool in God’s eyes. I want my words to have a positive impact on the people around me. More importantly, I want others to see and hear the love of the Savior every time I open my mouth.

  Bottom line truth:  My reckless words will NEVER show anyone Jesus.

   

   

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