A Time to Keep Silent and a Time to SpeakNäide

Your words matter to the Lord God

“I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matthew 12:36-37)

We are sometimes tempted to think that our words are not that important. Our actions matter much more, don't they? And if we choose our words a little poorly, but our intentions are good, we'll probably be fine... But today's Bible reading warns us that we will have to give account for every careless word we speak. So, our words do matter!

The Lord Jesus sees a direct connection between our hearts and our words. “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34). Therefore, our words will also be a factor in God's judgment of our lives. They show what is on the inside. This was very clear with Jesus' adversaries at that time, the Pharisees. They saw Jesus casting out a demon, but they would not acknowledge His divine authority, and so they claimed that Jesus Himself was possessed by a demon. Their words came from an embittered, hardened heart. They blasphemed God against their better judgment. And Jesus took that very seriously.

On average, we speak more than 10,000 words a day. Often without thinking deeply about it. Today, pay attention to what comes out of your mouth. What kind of words do you speak?