Road to Spiritual Growth

Words Of The Heart

by: Kenny Hinrichs   via  Eternity At Stake

Words are an expression of the heart, with limited influence to alter lives and situations. A prudent choice of words is a plus, because what we say has life-changing capacity. If the heart is of faith, then the words can move mountains and activate God's promises. God searches for people who are walking in faith, they are in his special favor.

The responsibility of steering our own life involves visualizing where we want to go. When we have a good view of a preferred destiny, our words naturally aim in that direction. The tongue can have a significant role in bringing the visualization to realization.

"Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see."
Heb 11:1 NLT

The significance of our words can also work negatively. We can hurt ourselves and others with thoughtless comments or remarks. Many people speak evil and destruction into their own lives daily, without realizing words can either build-up or destroy.

Surely no one wants to speak evil into their own lives, but lots of people do it everyday, without a second thought. It's easy to speak pessimistically without realizing these faithless words can generate negative results. This type of loose conversation can lead to increased or sustained hardship.

"The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences."
Pro 18:21 NLT

Even a casual conversation can potentially change or sustain circumstances. When someone has lived in poverty a long time, they may accept this as fate, and in turn, speak words in agreement. When we succumb to the curse of poverty, it becomes the vision for our life.

We can improve our situation by refusing to live outside of God's blessings and favor. Take time to meditate about what you want to accomplish, it's good to stretch the boundaries. What do you hope for that seems out of reach? What dreams do you have that have been buried, reach in and bring them to life.

Savor these dreams in meditation, then your tongue will eagerly assist in bringing them to reality. We should purposely raise and pursue our dreams, making faith evident to peers. The more we talk about our dreams, the more real they become in our heart.

"May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer."
Psa 19:14 NLT

If we were to always consider our words before speaking, realizing the potential to change the world, then we can purposely improve our lives over time. The key to speaking positive life-giving words, is to have a heart that reflects goodness.

"A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart."
Matt 12:35 NLT

Here's an example of speaking or thinking pessimistically: "I have been trying all my life to do right and be successful, but it never fails that the bottom always falls out, and my efforts come to nothing. I'll never get ahead, nothing goes my way, I fail at everything I do. God wants me to be poor, it's my fate."

Here's an example of speaking or thinking in faith: "I can do anything in Jesus's name. I'll pursue my dreams and speak about them in faith. I believe God will bless my efforts, which are done in faith. I will purposely and with perseverance plant good seeds in good soil, which will bring good harvests in due time."

We each have good and evil in our own heart, so we need to use wisdom and discipline with the tongue. Otherwise, when speaking in anger, we are likely to say things that are later regretted. But if we wisely consider before speaking, we can restructure with life giving words.

Anger is always a choice, and how we act in anger is also a choice. Righteous anger can be controlled and used for good. But foolish anger inevitably leads to destruction. Every word we speak will be brought to remembrance on that special day in the future, when we will be standing before Jesus expecting to have our salvation finalized.

"And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak."
Matt 12:36 NLT

When considering a response, keep in mind everything we do or say is recorded in Heaven. There is no way to take back foolish words. It would be interesting to have the option of backing up ten minutes for a retake, not only to take back foolish words, but also to say something good not thought of before.

"Wise words bring many benefits, and hard work brings rewards."
Prov 12:14 NLT

People, who's names are written in the Book of Life, have been promised salvation, but it hasn't been awarded yet. Therefore, everything we do or say, either good or bad, will be revealed on Judgement Day. Then God will forever forget our wrong doings, because Jesus has already paid for our sins. They will be wiped from all records.

"I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God's throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books."
Revelation 20:12 NLT

"And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, 'You should know the LORD.' For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already," says the LORD. "And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins."
Jer 31:34 NLT

All that will remain are the good things we did out of love and faith, which will be rewarded accordingly. Therefore, when you are carefully choosing your words, picture yourself on that day in the future when all the books will be opened. It's best to choose words that won't be wiped from the slate, but added to your eternal treasure.

"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."
Eph 4:29 NLT

Some people will receive much greater treasure than others. Therefore, we can increase our eternal treasures now, by deeds done out of love and faith. We can't take anything with us when we die, but we can garner lots of treasure in Heaven. If we make a conscious effort to always say and do good things, then our eternal reward will be great.

"Sell your possessions and give to those in need. This will store up treasure for you in heaven! And the purses of heaven never get old or develop holes. Your treasure will be safe; no thief can steal it and no moth can destroy it. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be."
Luke 12:33-34 NLT

Every day we face unexpected situations that require a response, and sometimes we don't have time. Decisions or choices we make during these circumstances, could be considered as a character or heart test. To assist in having a good response, it's wise to pause and consider life-giving words that will ad to your eternal treasures, rather than regretted words that will be burned with the chaff.

"The heart of the godly thinks carefully before speaking..."
Prov 15:28 NLT

If someone never learns to apply wisdom, they could spend their whole life speaking foolishly, with an undisciplined tongue. If they have accepted salvation, but put forth little effort to grow spiritually, their treasures in Heaven will be insignificant.

"But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person's work has any value. If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames."
1 Cor 3:13-15 NLT

After someone develops a habit of speaking in faith, it will become their character to have an optimistic outlook, and will partly define who they are. Since we lack the power to control our surroundings, words from a heart of faith help to achieve the best outcome.