Lord, Let My Words Be Kind
In the illustration for my whimsical digital poetry prayer print, I’ve painted three characters chatting together. (It’s based on an earlier illustration I did several years ago and repurposed for this poem!)
The critters have assembled for donuts and tea and a meeting about their latest project. Their conversation soon ends up about people they know and their private lives.
This is a whimsical visual satire of events that happens all too often in reality.
Fortunately, we serve a wonderful God of mercy and grace who loves each of us despite our flaws and weaknesses.
God’s immeasurable love for us is why Jesus Christ suffered and died for us on the cross; to save the sinners that we are to make us His own. Jesus truly loves each of us as if we were the only child He had to love.
However, Jesus is concerned about the words we speak to each other because words can be harmful. He said to the Pharisees once:
“But I say unto you, “That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.”~ Matthew 12:36 - KJV
King David of ancient Israel was known as “the man after God’s own heart.” He kept an open heart towards God. He wrote this prayer in one of his many psalms: “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any *wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” ~ Psalm 139:23-24 - KJV
The word *wicked in this verse means idolatrous. Idolatrous is loving anything more than we love God.
If we love anything more than God it will show up in how we talk and in the way we live our lives.
Idle words are inoperative words; words that produce no eternal seeds for the Lord.
But they are words that have some effect however, for they if produce no eternal seeds for Christ, who are they producing seeds for?
God’s enemy.
When we gossip and sow strife, slander, and negative, abusive, condemning, accusing words, we are sowing words for Christ’s enemy.
Jesus said that we are surely going to be accountable for those words on the Day of Judgment.
For if we align with God’s enemy we will be judged along with that enemy on that Day.
And if we want to stay in the light with Christ we will walk in the light with Him and abide in His grace.
“If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.” ~ 1 John 1:6-10 - KJV
Jesus Christ is a real Person.
If we say we love Him, Jesus Christ said that we will live like it.
Jesus said, “If a man love Me, he will keep My words: and My Father will love him, and We will come unto him, and make Our abode with him. He that loveth Me not keepeth not My sayings: and the word which ye hear is not Mine, but the Father's which sent Me.”
John 14:23-24 -KJV
If we don’t really believe in the risen Christ, the way we live will show our unbelief.
Our lives and our speech will reflect that we either obey or don’t obey Christ’s true teaching for He left us with this commandment:
“…love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” John 13:34-35 -KJV
A driver points their car in the direction they want to go ~if they aim for their goal they usually get to their destination.
For example, I am like the driver and Jesus Christ is my Goal.
If I aim at Christ consistently then I will always go in His direction.
But if I aim for what is not Christ then how can I ever find Him?
The prayer poem on my whimsical illustrated digital download is an appropriate one for us all to pray before we assemble with our friends!
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for loving us so much! Help us to always consider our words wisely. Make our speech kind and thoughtful to reflect our love for Christ, In Jesus' name, amen.
https://peaceangelsongsgifts.com/collections/digital-fine-art-encouraging-cards-1/products/digital-download-whimsical-inspirational-art-card-idle-words-illustrated-by-suzanne-davis-harden
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