Out of all the things that I think of in the mornings, I have to say I don’t usually wonder what my words should be like. And yet God gave us an incredible opportunity and responsibility to steward our words with intention and in obedience to Him.
When is the last time you spoke carelessly? Said something in frustration, twisted a comment in your favor, or overshared about someone else? Even writing it out is convicting. Jesus reminds us in Luke 6:45 that our words aren’t just random mistakes. They reveal something deeper. What comes out of our mouths often exposes what is happening in our hearts.
If we were to take a review of the words we’ve used from the last week, what kind of themes would you notice? Are there certain topics, people, complaints that you recognize repeatedly? As soon as I think about that question, part of me wants to stop talking altogether for the rest of the week (which may be the introvert in me talking).
But God doesn’t reveal these things to shame us. He reveals them because He loves us and He is the source of all truth. He invites us to bring our hearts honestly before Him—the frustrations, fears, assumptions, and narratives we carry around every day. He is the safest place to confess what is beneath our words. As we surrender those things to Him, God does more than help us speak differently. He begins to change us from the inside out. He renews our minds, reshapes our hearts, and teaches us to speak words that bring life, truth, encouragement, and grace to the people around us.
So, let’s start off the week with honesty before God. Father, we confess that we all have areas where we need You to filter our hearts so that we can look and sound more like You. We can’t make significant change on our own, we need You as the filter of our hearts and the renewer of our minds. Let us receive Your words about us and empower us with Your Holy Spirit to remind us in real time as we stray. Give us opportunities to be a source of life for those around us and put into practice what your Word teaches us. In Jesus’ Name we pray, amen.