Idle Words

Matthew 12:35-37, "A good person produces good words from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil words from the treasury of an evil heart. And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak. The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you.”

The power of words, but it is not just the words that we are meaning to say. You know, the words that we say when we are angry and trying to hurt someone. This passage does not stop with those words. It goes further to the idle words. Idle words are those words we say when we have put our spirit to sleep and we are running on habit. Idle words are those words that just come out of our mouth with no thought, or effort in thinking, on our part.

God never told me to rest where He is concerned. He calls us to live to a higher standard. He wants us to be in control of everything we do and our mouth is a very big part of that. (James 1-3), "Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls... So whatever you say or whatever you do, remember that you will be judged by the law that sets you free... But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself."

Words have been resonating in my heart lately. It seems like everywhere I go, God is telling me to check my words. Every idle word that I speak counts. Its not just the ones that seem "big" to us, but everything that lazily comes out of my mouth. Why wouldn't He consider words to be a very big deal for He calls Himself the Word. John 1:1, "In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through Him, and nothing was created except through Him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and His life brought light to everyone." I say that I am a Christ follower. If my words do not reflect the Word, then what is really in my heart! Each time I say anything, my heart is speaking. And if my heart is speaking, I better check to see whose reflection is in the mirror. "In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God." Are my words, His word? Every idle word...

Ephesians 4:17-32, "Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, He has identified you as His own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption." After everything that Christ has done for me, after everything, I feel great remorse to think that I am bringing Him more grief, just by being lazy with my words. He is my lover, my friend, my redeemer, and my desire is to bring Him joy. Not sorrow.

Oswald Chambers, "'We make it our aim...to be well pleasing to Him' —2 Corinthians 5:9. 'We make it our aim...' It requires a conscious decision and effort to keep our primary goal constantly in front of us. It means holding ourselves to the highest priority year in and year out; not making our first priority to win souls, or to establish churches, or to have revivals, but seeking only 'to be well pleasing to Him.' It is not a lack of spiritual experience that leads to failure, but a lack of working to keep our eyes focused and on the right goal. At least once a week examine yourself before God to see if your life is measuring up to the standard He has for you. Paul was like a musician who gives no thought to audience approval, if he can only catch a look of approval from his Conductor."