37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
Matthew 12:37 (KJV)
Words have a powerful influence in our lives. Jesus says we can be justified or condemned by what we speak. The law of the land says that what we say, “can and will be used against us in a court of law.” We are warned by scripture and our legal system to choose our words carefully.
In the spiritual realm there is another important aspect of our speech. It is the way we say things to each other. Our speech can either be a blessing or a curse. The way we say things can incite anger or peace. How we say things really matter.
18 There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health.
Proverbs 12:18 (KJV)
This is the difficult part when it comes to texting, posting or messaging. It is easy to be misunderstood via the internet. Again, we must choose our words carefully. We need to constantly be evaluating our motives and words when trying to convey a message to our fellow believers.
The scripture teaches that our words need to be seasoned with grace.
6 Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.
Colossians 4:6 (KJV)
Someone well said, “There is never an excuse for being unkind.” Truth is, we attract far more flies with honey than we do with salt.
If we speak negatively all the time, we can expect negative results. When I was pastoring, I learned quickly it was best to praise people for doing right rather than chastising them for doing wrong. Often, we would have a poor attendance at events. I had worked hard along with others to promote the event and seeing a low attendance was a disappointment to me as a young pastor. I often stood in the pulpit and complained to my faithful people about the low attendance.
Then one day it dawned on me. Speaking negatively about those who were not there did not help the ones who were there! From that day onward I decided to concentrate on praising and thanking those who did attend. The ones who were not there (for whatever reason) could not hear me say what I had directed toward them anyway so what did it matter?
Trying to force people to do things using harsh words never helps any situation. Most of the time it invites anger. No one likes to be put on a guilt trip. When we obey the scripture and let our words be seasoned with kindness, thoughtfulness and compassion, we invite the blessing and help of God.
Our God has the power to change people’s hearts and minds. Our God is able to speak to others about being faithful and loyal. Let us stick to positive affirmation and let the Lord take care of those who seem unconcerned.