Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life--in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing. Philippians 2:14-16 (NIV)
Oh how we love to complain – sadly, I am speaking from my own pitiful experience! It just so easily slips from the lips. Right??? Before we know it, words come gushing out of our mouths that certainly aren’t edifying. They often leave our hearers not uplifted at best and pillaged at worst. We breathe into others life or death by our words. Make no mistake about it. They can ring in the hearers ears and like the toothpaste out of the tube, there is no getting them back in.
God’s Word tells us we are to speak Truth in love, not letting any unwholesome talk come out of our mouths but only what is helpful in building others up according to their needs – bringing benefit to the hearer with our words not harm. Loose lips sink ships and wreck lives – watch your words. Oftentimes, it is better to remain silent and pray – we can pour our hearts out to God with anything that troubles us while arguing with others often causes friction not peace. Also, it is good to pray before we open our mouths asking the Father that the words of our mouth will be pleasing in His sight. A wonderful reminder is to put our words through the sieve of are they true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, praiseworthy or necessary??? If we do this we will most often remain silent rather than verbose!
“Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” Matthew 12:33-37 (NIV)