Week 2, Day 4: Love with Your Words

Scripture Readings: Ephesians 4:29-32; James 3:1-12

We have an amazing tool to help us convey love to people: our words. Our words can also be used as a weapon that wounds or even kills the soul of those we are called to love. As we grow in our desire to love people like God has loved us, we will also need to grow in how we use our words with others.

Our words reveal what is going on in our hearts, according to Jesus. “Out of the heart, the mouth speaks.” Another way of saying this is – make sure your heart is right before you speak. For in our words is a power to bless or curse people. Wow! That’s amazing! We can tear people apart and bring them down by negative words, angry words, demeaning words. But we can also encourage hearts and build people up by words of blessing, affirmation, acceptance, and goodwill. Our words create an atmosphere in our relationships. You can actually sense the atmosphere around relationships whether they are one of blessing or cursing. When love dominates our hearts our mouth will overflow with life-giving words, just like Jesus’.

Questions:

How is your tongue factor on the blessing scale?

What is going on in your heart if you are being negative or critical?

Give God your tongue and ask him to make it a fountain of blessing.