The Importance of Words

If I’ve learned one thing in my life… and yes… I have learned a few things... it would be the importance of my words.  Looking back in time, I can see that I have said a lot of stupid words in my past.  But I am also happy to report that the occurrence of those kinds of mistakes has been greatly reduced with each increasing year of my existence.

When I think about it, most of those thoughtless words were uttered when I was embarrassed, trying to look or be “cool” or most often… to fill in an uncomfortable time of silence while in a conversation with someone.  Have you ever been there?

But as I began to grow in my Christian walk and in particular with my knowledge of God’s Word, I realized that the Bible takes a clear and very vocal stance on the importance of the words that we speak!  A quick search with my Bible Study program revealed that the words mouth and tongue… both defined as speech or language*… are used over 550 times in the Old and New Testaments combined.  That alone should catch the attention of every Believer and cause them to put a watch on what they say!

Proverbs 18:21 in The Message Bible makes the case very bluntly when it declares:

“Words kill, words give life; they're either poison or fruit—you choose.”

Lately I have been studying the Apostle Paul’s many thoughts on the subject and specifically in Ephesians 4:19 where he wrote,

“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.”  (KJV) 

And what really made me stand up and take notice is when I learned that the word “communication” is the word usually translated from the Greek as the “LOGOS” of God… meaning the whole of the Word of God… ie; the words that are written between the covers of yours and my Bibles!  When I was finally able to sit down again, I realized that one could easily understand this verse as saying, “Let no corrupted Word of God proceed out of your mouth in your spoken language!’

So, if that is true… then what would one consider to be a corrupted Word of God?  Well, that’s pretty simple!  Any word that we might speak that is contrary to the truth of God’s Word!  Simply stated… any word that would put any hint of doubt, unbelief and/or fear into the ears of the one that you are talking to at any given moment.  The word “corrupt” in the original language is defined as “worthless, rotten, not fit for use, of poor quality, depraved, wicked or perverted.”*

It is also no coincidence that the verses of scripture previous to this verse teach us to, “not leave room for the Devil.” (Ephesians 4:27 – Weymouth New Testament), while the following verse encourages us to “never grieve the Spirit of God or take for granted his holy influence in your life.”  (Ephesians 4:30 – TPT) 

Similarly, the Apostle Peter tells us in I Peter 3:10 “For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile.”  With the word “guile” defined in the Greek as “to decoy, to trick or bait, wile, fraud or as a contrivance for entrapping.”*

My current study of these verses and the concepts and truths behind them, finally got it to register in me, that our spiritual and physical battle for Piper’s health, when she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, quickly turned into a battle for of our words.  I learned that other people’s words of doubt, fear and unbelief toward the Biblical principles that we were standing on, came as a weapon being used by the enemy of our faith, that were being spoken in order to trick, deceive or entice us into questioning our faith.

So… in the most important battle of our lives, Piper and I, once again, learned the importance of speaking and standing on the truth of God’s Word… and gave no way to the wiles of the enemy… It is actually one of the reasons that we moved to North Carolina.

In today’s current WOKE culture, we see the enemy of our Christian faith attacking us by the guile of society’s words!  Why else are we witnessing the movement of the liberal left in our government, as they work to redefine God’s given creation and the associated meanings of our words and attempt to insert a whole new set of gender pronouns into our everyday language?  It is a not-so-sneaky way of coercing people to walk in doubt, fear and unbelief of the Christian Judeo foundations of our country.

And how do we combat these entrapments and hinder their acceptance into our society… into our families… and in some cases, into our churches?  It's simple… by continuing to speak the truth of God’s Word in your normal conversations and live out those principles in EVERYTHING we do!

It is a basic spiritual principle that is spoken of by almost every writer in the Bible… and if it was important to God (as witnessed by Jesus’ life on the earth)… then it should be just as important to you and me!

Have a great week, and as you do… keep EXPECTING God’s BEST in your lives!

 

*Strong’s, Thayer’s and Mounce Hebrew and Greek dictionaries