The Lord has been pressing into my mind the need for me to eliminate empty words from my life. More specifically gossip. Now I have always treasured words and their power to encourage a heart or enrapture a mind. But they have a dark side. A powerful dark side. Everyone has experienced the slow death to part of themselves because someone has poisoned their mind and heart with an unkind, godless, empty word.
I have been reading 2 Timothy for some time, for reasons unknown to me...just reading. This morning, this is what I read: "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly." 2 Tim. 2:15-16
It seems that my ability to acurately handle the word of truth may be directly tied to my abililty to acurately handle my vocabulary. How many times do I idly talk about someone or something in a less than honorable way? How often do I indulge in juicy gossip or even in empty conversation that isn't necessary? It is really the godlessness of our words that I think endanger us. It is the conversations that contain an air of nothingness. No life...not really death...just emptiness. We have been given such a power to speak power and life into others. Perhaps the emptiness just takes away from that power. Please God show me what this means for my mouth.
Ouch. Good stuff, Jess.
ReplyDeleteIt really makes you think. So often, we just take half of it. I mean, in the sense that, it would be hard enough to not gossip, but still, probably possible, even in our own power. But, to truly make each word intentional and good...that's something that we need God for.
ReplyDeleteBut, then again. That's the whole point, isn't it?