It is so important that we be aware of the words we speak not just verbally but also in our hearts. I can honestly say this is an area where I am working daily. Life circumstances had me upset or disappointed and I found myself voicing the displeasure when I need to take a moment and process what happened and why it happened. This is not my natural first response though and I am truly working at how I process.
James 1:9 Amplified Bible "Understand this, my beloved brothers and sisters. Let everyone be quick to hear [be a careful, thoughtful listener], slow to speak [a speaker of carefully chosen words and], slow to anger [patient, reflective, forgiving];.
I cannot express this enough, what you speak matters. The hurt you experienced as a child or from your job does not have to bleed from your lips. The trauma from the relationship or the hurt of the circumstances do not have to cause anyone else any damage from our lips. We often do not realize that what in our hearts spills out over time and especially when we are triggered. This can occur years or decades later and we not be aware of the root. You do not have to be a bad person to be releasing bad things from your heart, you can simply be unaware.
Matthew 12:34 "For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks." KJV
Proverbs 4:23 "Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life." KJV.
Proverbs 18:21 "Death and life are in the power of the tongue: And they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof." KJV
The words and events of our lives comes in through our ears, we recite, put on repeat, and rehearse these in our minds and they then take a seat in our hearts. Those seeds are then planted and take root. Over time those seeds begin to grow and we are unaware. More circumstances hit us as we mature through our life journey and waters those seeds to aid in their growth as we are going about our way. Over time we begin to see the fruit of the seeds in our lives good and bad. Triggered and in full bloom here comes the fruit and it comes from our lips and actions. This fruit shows up in how we address others, they way we communicate and our actions. Yes our actions! How do we see this in our actions? Your fears of being rejected which started from the rejection felt as a child or in your teen years and now showing up in you as an adult. The abuse of any kind shows up in your anxiety and distrust of people. our triggers show that there was a significant event in your life and may have been dormant until something came that set the emotional response to take place.
It is time to address the root of what is in our hearts so that we as people begin to walk around in love, joy, and peace. I desire to walk in the Fruit of the spirit verses the fruit of my pain, trials, trauma and issues. The Fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, faith, meekness, and temperance found in Galatians 5:22-23. I want my words to empower others and impact them in positive ways and not to tear others down. I gain nothing by judging and tearing others down. I gain more love and joy from building others up and seeing them at their best. I love to see people WIN. Yes, I am more joyful and happy when I see those around me excelling and growing in positive ways. Speaking life is so much easier than digging up negative things to say about others. I consider the mirror and the glass house. No one is perfect and imperfect people do imperfect things. Question is, do you strive to do nice things and guard your heart? Are you speaking life over others or are you releasing negative words? Are you speaking life over yourself and your situations or spilling negative words? Choose to speak life over your home, over your children, over your marriage and self!
What you speak matters!