Your Words Matter

If you want to enjoy life to the fullest, then you need to keep your tongue from evil.  "For the one who wants to love life and to see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit (1 Pt 3:10)."  Your language matters to God, and it plays a big role in your personal happiness.  "Better slip with foot than tongue (Ben Franklin)."  

To keep your tongue from evil, there are six types of speech you must avoid.

1) Crooked words (Col 3:9).  Crooked words are dishonest words, such as lying, flattery, and exaggeration.   

2) Curse words (Col 3:8).  How do you know if a word is a curse word?  Curse words are words that adults don’t want their children to hear; words that parents do not want their children to say; words that would not be used in a Hallmark movie; words that the preacher would never use in a sermon.   

3) Corrupt language (Eph 5:3).  Corrupt or dirty language usually involves talking about sexual things in an inappropriate way.   

4) Cut downs (Mt 5:22).  A cut-down or insult is a degrading comment or a hurtful name.   

5) Criticism (Jas 4:11).  Criticism is pointing out a person’s faults or flaws in an unloving way, either to their face or behind their back.   

6) Complaining (Phil 2:14).  To complain is to express dissatisfaction about a person or a circumstance.   

For your own good and God's glory, make a commitment today to keep your tongue from evil.

"May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, LORD, my rock and my Redeemer (Ps 19:14)."