“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.” Psalm 19:14

Words

Recently, while writing another devotional, I recalled something Pastor Bryan said to gauge whether we should speak or be silent. “Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary?” Although it didn’t really work with the original devotional I was writing, I believe it deserves more thought. I’ve not had a very good handle on my words lately. I’ve failed the litmus test of those three questions more often than I care to admit to myself or others.

I don’t have much trouble with the truth part, except I can be brutally honest, which is why the other two components are so important.

Recent weeks aside, I’m typically a fairly kind person, but words are really a heart issue (Matthew 15:18). So, I have to ask myself when I’m seemingly unable to be kind, what heart issues am I failing to deal with? Am I angry or afraid? Holding onto bitterness or unforgiveness? I’m trusting as I continue to listen and lean into the Lord, the Holy Spirit will soften my heart, showing me areas I need to come to God in: confession, repentance or submission. He, in turn, will give grace to my words (Ephesians 4:29).

Which brings us to the third question: is it necessary? I’ve rarely written a devotional under 500 words, and it usually takes lots of editing to get there! The very next day after I originally wrote these words, part of the weekly email writers receive from the editor of our daily devotionals read: “It’s hard to know when we are at the end of our story (thus we keep to a 500-word limit on devotionals and about one page for study homework)–because life just goes on, and everything seeps into everything else! God is creative that way, isn’t He?” I had to laugh. I started conversing in full adult sentences at a very young age and haven’t stopped. I feel the need to explain (perhaps justify) every action I take to nearly everyone I come in contact with. Everything DOES seem to seep into everything else. Boundaries and borders blur very easily for me. Do I really need to explain things to the “nthdegree”, when a yes or no question is posed to me? No. If nobody asks me a question, do I need to open my mouth at all? Probably not.

Before we speak, I pray we ask ourselves these three questions: Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary? When the answer to any of them is no, I pray, as the Spirit leads, we keep our words to ourselves.

“Father God, give us wisdom and discernment. Cleanse our hearts and renew our spirits (Psalm 51:10). Keep a watch over our mouths and our words (Psalm 141:3) making them acceptable to You and edifying to others. Amen.”