It has been awhile since I’ve wrote my own devotional. Some of you may be secretly thankful for that :o), but God has put something on my heart that I would like to share with you. The men on this devotional list may have heard of the book “Wild at Heart” by John Eldredge. It is a very popular religious book for men right now. What you may not know is John and his wife Stasi have written the counterpart to it for women called “Captivating”. I highly recommend this book to women, and even men, especially if you have daughters. In this book, they draw specific attention to Proverbs 4:23 and the fact that it says “ABOVE ALL ELSE, GUARD YOUR HEART…” I never really focused on the fact the writer of Proverbs says “ABOVE ALL ELSE…” Why is it so important to guard our hearts, so much so that we should guard it more than anything else? It is because our hearts define who we are…how we act…what we say. Disagree?
I never realized how much the Bible connected our tongue to our hearts. I mean I have heard all the lessons from James about how powerful the tongue is and how tough it is to control it, and I’ve read a few of the Proverbs that talk about our speech. Again, I know we all know to control the tongue…that our speech is to be seasoned with salt, etc, etc, etc. But do you realize how often the Bible speaks to the tongue and heart being directly connected?
I suggest it is impossible to control your tongue if you have a “heart condition”.
Ask anyone who has been in any type of verbally abusive relationship how hurtful words can be. Words can be like daggers to your heart and soul. Proverbs 12:18 attests to this fact saying, “Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” People can often deceive us with words, saying what we want to hear, “With persuasive words she led him astray; she seduced him with her smooth talk” Proverbs 7:21. Words are powerful! Let me suggest something kind of extreme, but I think true. Christ had the power to heal physically and emotionally all the conditions of man. I believe man holds the power to harm and to heal, and that power lies in our tongue. Consider the following verses:
Proverbs 16:24 Pleasant words are as a honeycomb, sweet to the mind and healing to the body.
Proverbs 15:4 A gentle tongue [with its healing power] is a tree of life, but willful contrariness in it breaks down the spirit
Where am I going with this? Sometimes I really battle with trying to understand why people are so hateful. It just seems there are a few people in the world who no matter how we approach them, how we try to reason with them nothing can calm their hateful tongue. Truly nice people do not turn into hateful, verbally abusive people just because they are angry. I know we all say things we don’t mean when we are angry, but I think you know what kind of people I’m talking about. Those people that know what buttons to push, their words are attacks, cunningly aimed at just the right parts of our souls. Have you ever tried to reason with someone like that? Have you ever tried to explain how devastating their words are and they just don’t get it? I believe they don’t get it because their tongue is connected to their heart and they have a “heart condition.” Their speech will not change until their heart is changed. Consider the following verses:
Proverbs 10:11The mouth of the [uncompromisingly] righteous man is a well of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
Matthew 12:34 You offspring of vipers! How can you speak good things when you are evil? For out of the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks.
When we encounter people like this we have a few things to consider:
First: Can we reframe their words and actions in light of knowing their hearts are broken and thus understand and deal gently with them? If we can then…
Second: Can we help this person with that broken heart without submitting ourselves to ruin?
Thirdly: If it is a situation that is damaging to us, we must pray for strength to leave and then ask God to help that person with their heart condition, thus rectifying their speech.
Our tongue is so powerful! In Luke 6:45 he says, “The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.”
Our mouths can confess God or condemn us for an eternity. While on earth, our tongue can harm or heal those around us. What is your speech like? More importantly, how is your heart? My prayer for you and me today is we all consider how our words affect our families, loved ones, students and co-workers. Furthermore, if you are someone who deals with an individual whose words are angry and malicious, consider the three options I mentioned above and ask God to guide you through what you should do.
I know I have had to do that recently. I hope this has been a blessing to you….Debra
