A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. (Luke 6:45 (NKJV))

Words are powerful. They can build one person up and tear another down. Inspire or crush. The words you say can make the difference between a great day with your husband or a cringeworthy one.

And your words reveal the state of your heart. As the Bible teaches us, “As a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the real person” (Proverbs 27:19 (NLT)).

Bitter people spew venom – words that sear and scald. And hurting people use caustic words that wound others. As they say, hurting people hurt people. Misery loves company, doesn’t it?

So, what do your words say about you? Do they reflect your relationship with Jesus? Can people tell from the things you say that you’ve been spending time with Him?

Listen to yourself when you talk. Do your words glorify God? Edify others? Or do your words reveal a heart problem?

For example, God commanded us not to take His name in vain (Exodus 20:7). God told us, “You must not misuse the name of the LORD your God. The LORD will not let you go unpunished if you misuse His name” (Exodus 20:7 (NLT)).

The word vain means empty, worthless. God’s name is holy. It is the name above all other names. It is far above “every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come” (Ephesians 1:21 (NKJV)). When His name comes out of your mouth, it should be used with reverence and awe.

Yet, it’s common in our society to use His name carelessly, recklessly, or even as a curse word. The exclamation, “Oh my God!” or its shorthand “OMG!” falls out of kids’ and grownups’ mouths alike. When it does, the person usually has no intention of actually calling on Him.

And the speech of many is peppered with the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus without any respect for His beautiful name. You hear it on the streets, on colleagues’ lips, and in movies and television shows. It’s so commonplace that many who profess to be Christian don’t think twice about hearing it or carelessly saying it themselves.

As James taught us, “And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right!” (James 3:10 (NLT)).

If you notice that your words reveal a heart problem, pray to God. Ask Him to reveal the state of your heart. Bitterness often results from a lack of forgiveness. And careless words can demonstrate a lack of respect for God or an absence of love for those around you.

Once God shows you what you need to take care of, confess any sin. Then ask God to help you forgive whatever needs to be forgiven and to give you a greater respect for Him and more love for others.

We need to be careful with our words. Remember that the words you speak make a difference in the lives of those around you.

Let’s be women whose words encourage and bless the people in our lives. Let us use words that are “fitly spoken” – ones that are “like apples of gold in settings of silver” (Proverbs 25:11 (NKJV)). Let our speech glorify God as we walk by faith with Him.

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