"Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones." (Proverbs 16:21)
In our final study of the tongue, we discover what the effects are of wise speech.
God is the Judge
One of the things we need to remember is that at the end of the day, God is ultimately the judge of what we say. We have already seen from Matthew 12:34 that what we say is a revelation of that which is in our hearts, however, if you read further in Matthew 12, you read the following, "But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgement. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned" (vv36-37).
The Greek word for careless above (argon) means more than just careless, but includes hurtful, evil, useless, and false. That means, everything that we say that could do any possible harm to someone, we will have to give an account for. Whether it be something hurtful and spiteful, or a little white lie that we tell in order to "protect" someone or ourselves - all our careless speech will be judged.
But on the other end, even our good words will be judged, and as these verses promise, we will be justified by them. We need to remember that God's standard for our speech is greater than ours. We may think that there is nothing wrong in telling a little lie in order to protect someone we love, but God's standard is different, and we will have to give an account to Him at the judgement.
Why is This Important?
But why is it important to remember that God is the judge of our words? Well, remember how we began our study of the book of Proverbs, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge" (Proverbs 1:7)? When we fear the Lord the way we ought to, our attitudes, thoughts, actions, and words change. When we realise that we are going to have to give an account before God, we will begin to keep a control over our tongue, and when we do that, we will begin to see changes not only in our lives, but in the lives of those around us.
Potential Effects
Are you having trouble in some of your relationships with people? A spouse? Children? Co-workers? Consider how you speak to them currently.
For example: do you sometimes express displeasure at your child's achievements? Such as earning a B on an exam and not an A? Now imagine what they could be like in twenty years time if you continue that way. They may grow feeling as though nothing they do is good enough for you. That they are worthless and may possibly lose all desire to try and succeed in whatever they do.
What about your spouse? When things get tough and they seem to be annoying you, how do you respond? Do you call them derogatory names, speak in harsh tones, and fail to communicate unconditional love to them? If so, then you are doing more damage to your relationship than good. There is no way that you are going to be able to have a marriage that people are going to admire.
We may want our children to achieve more, and we may become angry at times, but we need to make sure that when we do, we are careful with our words. At the judgement, when God challenges us on our use of words to our spouses or children, what are we going to say to Him? I fear that there will be no answer that we can give that will by suitable, and as Matthew 12:37 points out, we may stand condemned before God.
I encourage you today to remember who will ultimately judge your speech, and to put a guard on your words so that you can begin to see the benefits today that will have an eternal effect.
Just a Thought!
© 2012
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