Good Treasure from the Heart

by Sarah
from Virtuous Daughters, September 2016~Volume 16, Number 6

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.” (Proverbs 18:21)
 
The tongue is such a small member of our bodies, yet it holds the power of life or death. No wonder God's Word has so much to say about our words! A few years ago as I studied this topic, I was convicted by the emphasis that Scripture places on this area of our lives. Our Creator has given us the ability to speak, so that we can proclaim His glory and goodness to all people (Psalm 107). Our words should be filled with His praise for the great mercy He has shown in redemption. “And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long” (Psalm 35:28)

Jesus got to the heart of the matter when He said, “A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned” (Matthew 12:35-37). What comes out of our mouth reflects what is in our heart. If we are filled with the love of Christ and selflessness, then gracious and merciful words will proceed. However, if we are harboring bitterness and self-centeredness, then when our will is crossed, those sins will gush forth from our mouth. I dare say that we sisters all have experienced times when our fleshly response to an undesired situation or conflict has been less than lovely! When this happens, I naturally want the conflict or difficulty to be removed—because of course it is the problem, right? I've come to see that when I am struggling with my attitude (and the unkind, selfish words that result), the problem is not that situation or person who is irritating me—the problem is my sinful heart. The Lord is using these situations to expose deep-rooted sins, and give me a platform to die to self and live out the selfless love of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:10). When others say hurtful things, He is giving me a chance to deny myself the liberty to act upon the sin of unkindness or anger that arises. The Lord has been challenging me to guard my tongue when I am provoked by others (whether unintentionally or purposefully). Instead of reacting to the situation, I need to stop and pray for love and wisdom. Although it has definitely been a challenge, and I have failed often, the Lord has so graciously given sweet fruit when I have kept quiet instead of reacting selfishly. It is amazing how the simple aspect of quietude and kindness will heal damaged relationships—I encourage you to try it for a few days! (See Proverbs 25:15) For example, someone throws out a cutting remark, and it arouses our flesh. We feel the injustice and an unkind response immediately pops into mind. We have a right to at least defend ourselves, don't we? No, actually we do not. That is not the way the Lord Jesus Himself handled the most unjust situations that could be imagined. We read in I Peter 2:23 that Jesus, “when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously.” This is so convicting to me! So instead of responding wrongly, we can turn the offense over to the Lord and close our mouth. It really is simple, but it requires our obedience to the Lordship of Christ over our tongue.
 
As Jesus said, the root of the matter really is what is in our heart. This is why it is so critical that we incorporate the Word of God in our mind constantly. If we look at situations from a selfish perspective, we can justify so many sins that proceed from the mouth (unkindness, impatience, anger, frustration, uncleanliness). However, God's Word commands us to think on whatever things are true and pure (Philippians 4:8), and tells us that we have no “rights” because “that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts” (Galatians 5:24). So when our minds are filled with these things, our words truly will be selfless and Christ-honoring.
 
Each day we are given opportunities to exhibit wisdom through the words we choose, just like the Proverbs 31 woman who “openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness” (Proverbs 31:26). I find myself frequently asking the Lord to give me His wisdom—“the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy” (James 3:17). This is what we so often need, as sisters and daughters—wisdom to speak graciously and without hypocrisy. A word spoken in due season brings life and blessing, yet an impulsive or unkind word can bring destruction to relationships. Two times in Proverbs, we read, “It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman in a wide house.” I think this truth applies to us sisters more than we might think (at least it does for me)! It can be tempting to remind that sibling again...and again...that they need to do ____ or that they have not completed their chore...however, repeating these “helpful reminders” becomes a form of nagging and is very undesirable. There are wise, positive ways to spark a desire in others to be faithful in their God-given duties. We as sisters should learn to bridle our tongue and deal graciously with these situations, for the habits we develop toward our family now will stay with us in our future marriage and family, if Lord gives us that. Let's learn to speak humbly, encouragingly, and wisely to our siblings. God is willing to give us this discernment, if we will humbly ask Him (James 1:5).
 
God's Word has an incredible amount to say about our words. I encourage you to seek the Scriptures diligently, memorizing verses on this topic, and praying with the psalmist, "Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips" (Psalm 141:3).
 
Sisters, I want to leave you with a final thought: your words are an incredibly powerful testimony for the Lord Jesus Christ. One by one, the sounds that come out of your mouth are proclaiming to a lost and watching world Who you are living for and what you believe. This is no small matter. Jesus said, “Ye are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14). Our words as Christians should set us apart from a culture that does not fear and love the Lord God. When the Lord is the doorkeeper of our lips, He can use our words in many ways. Often, we do not know the far-reaching impact that our words have on others....You and I truly cannot estimate how God can use our words, if we are surrendered so that Christ can speak through us. “A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it!” (Proverbs 15:23)
 
There is not a word on our tongue that our heavenly Father does not know (Psalm 139:4). What an awesome and sobering thought. May you and I, by the power of the One Whose words spoke this very world into existence (Hebrews 1:1), speak forth words of life, hope, and grace!