"Oh, be careful little mouth what you say..."

"But the words you speak come from the heart--that's what defiles you."  Matthew 15:18

Doing Savannah's devotion with her today and this was our verse.  Oh, how this convicts me!  I have REALLY been trying to watch my words lately.  I don't mean cursing, but just making sure I use kind, uplifting, sincere, humble words...instead of unkind, discouraging, sarcastic, or prideful words.  We tend to let our tongue "slip" when we are talking to those closest to us, and it can leave them hurt, offended, shocked, or just plain hacked off at us.  Not that I always talk this way to my family and friends, :) but I'm just saying in the moment, when we're stressed out, don't feel good, tired, frustrated about something, etc., we tend to let our emotions get the best of us with those we love most.  Or maybe I'm the only one who reacts and says things I shouldn't or in the wrong way sometimes...oh, ok, I didn't think so. :) 

I have been working on this, though, because I want my heart to be clean, pure, Christlike, etc., so therefore my words need to coincide with that.  We've all heard the saying, "Who you are speaks so loudly, I can't hear what you're saying (Ralph Waldo Emerson)."   You can say all you want that Christ is the center of your life, that you love others, that you are a kind, caring person, that you don't hold grudges, that you go to church, etc, but are the words coming out of your mouth matching up with that?!  People who aren't interested in being a part of what we supposed Christians are, is all because of the hypocrisy they see in what we say is in our hearts, but what's really coming out of our mouths/actions!!!  God, please forgive us for this and convict us about the things we say matching up with what we say we believe!!!

I have friends who may be having a bad day, but their lives and words they speak have such a sweet spirit to them, and you don't have to question what is in their heart.  They have the love of Christ within, and it is obvious, like a sweet smelling fragrance is when you first come in contact with it.  Lord, let that be said of me!!!  I love Him and want to be like Him, but don't want the difficult times and how I react, make it seem otherwise.  I want to serve Him, but don't want it to seem like I don't, when I speak of selfish things.  I want to love others, but I don't want how I speak of someone to make it seem like I don't.  All of these things defile us as the verse says...our true thoughts & feelings come from the heart and show our "true colors."  I know we're not perfect, and sometimes the flesh will get the best of us, but let's battle our flesh and ask God to purify our hearts daily, making it obvious that we love Him and want a GOOD kind of different to be noticed in us because of the words we say!!!  Do you want that??!!