Are My Words Acceptable
Psalm 19:14 (KJV)
14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.
Colossians 4:6 (NIV)
6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
Matthew 15:11 (NIV)
11 What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.”
Colossians 3:8-10 (NIV)
8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.
Ephesians 4:29 (NIV)
29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
Last week during my quiet time I came across: Psalm 19:14 (KJV)
14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.
I have read this scripture many times before, but for some reason the Holy Spirit really helped me to tune in and pay attention to what I was reading on that day.
I was definitely convicted when I read this passage of scripture.
Maybe I felt this way because I know that my words are not always acceptable to God. I realize that I should think before I speak, but I must ashamedly confess that I fall short of this goal at times.
I have noticed that when fatigue sets in due to a long day, or when there have been some unforeseen stresses that have creeped into my day, my attitude and my words can become very short at times, and unintentionally harsh.
I don’t know your struggle. It may be that you are guilty of gossiping, or every now and then you slip a swear or curse word into your conversation. Some of you may struggle with telling the truth, and lying has become a convenient habit for you. It may be that you can’t resist saying negative things or that you are great at making promises but never keep them. Whatever sinful thing you are guilty of committing with your tongue, just know that it does not in any way bring God honor, nor is it acceptable to Him.
Whatever your struggle, I encourage you to take a personal and honest assessment of yourself. From this day forward before you speak, why not ask yourself: will what I am about to say be pleasing and acceptable to God? The Litmus Test is; if you could not say it with God standing beside you, then maybe you should not say it at all. Believe it or not, He is standing right beside you and He does hear every word you say.
Remember God is holy and because we are His children and we carry His name, we must do our best to choose our words wisely, and we must live in a way that will represent Him well before others.
We are His ambassadors and because we are, our character must reflect that of His. We are human and we will not always get it right. We will fall short from time to time, but through prayer and studying God’s word, we will grow closer and closer to Him. The reward of being in His presence is that we start to reflect His character. Through this process, a divine transformation starts to take place. Our desires start to change, and our choice of words will also began to change, and all of this is God at work in our lives.
Praise God for His amazing power to change us from head to toe. With His help we really can change our words, so that they are more pleasing and acceptable to Him. Will you choose to honor Him with your words today? I hope so! It is certainly my goal!
Below I have listed a few scriptures and from these we can see what God’s word has to say about our words.
James 3:9-10 (NIV)
9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.
Psalm 141:3 (NIV)
3 Set a guard over my mouth, LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips
