Idle Words
Ever say something and then realize what you just said? Has anybody ever asked you about something you said and you can’t even remember saying it? It is estimated that we speak between ten and twenty thousand words each day— more or less, depending on just how chatty you are. Do you keep track of all those words? What if someone called you on the carpet about everything you say in just one day? What about your whole life? Would that be scary or what?
Imagine that person is God who knows perfectly everything you have said! Jesus said in Matthew 12:36, “But I say unto you, ‘That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.’” We are responsible for every thing that comes out of our mouths! Every idle word! Not just the things we think about and say carefully, but every idle word.
I think there are two important lessons we should learn from this verse. First, what we say is important. It matters to God. We are responsible for what we say. Often we think that words are unimportant. “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me”— no, words do matter. What we say is important and we are accountable to God for what we say.
The second thing to learn is that we can control what our mouths say. When I think about giving an account of every idle word, my reaction is sheer terror: how in the world can I avoid saying sinful things? The previous verse, Matthew 12:35, tells us that what we say comes out of our hearts. Have you ever started to speak and when you realized what you were going to say you were appalled? Maybe you wondered, “Where did that come from?” Jesus said that our words come from our hearts. What we think about and treasure in our hearts will give birth to our “idle words.”
The only way to control our words is to protect our hearts. Proverbs 4:23 says, “Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.” Guard your heart. Be careful about what you let in, what you dwell on, what you daydream about, what you treasure. Your heart will affect your words, and you will give an account to God for every idle word.
Imagine that person is God who knows perfectly everything you have said! Jesus said in Matthew 12:36, “But I say unto you, ‘That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.’” We are responsible for every thing that comes out of our mouths! Every idle word! Not just the things we think about and say carefully, but every idle word.
I think there are two important lessons we should learn from this verse. First, what we say is important. It matters to God. We are responsible for what we say. Often we think that words are unimportant. “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me”— no, words do matter. What we say is important and we are accountable to God for what we say.
The second thing to learn is that we can control what our mouths say. When I think about giving an account of every idle word, my reaction is sheer terror: how in the world can I avoid saying sinful things? The previous verse, Matthew 12:35, tells us that what we say comes out of our hearts. Have you ever started to speak and when you realized what you were going to say you were appalled? Maybe you wondered, “Where did that come from?” Jesus said that our words come from our hearts. What we think about and treasure in our hearts will give birth to our “idle words.”
The only way to control our words is to protect our hearts. Proverbs 4:23 says, “Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.” Guard your heart. Be careful about what you let in, what you dwell on, what you daydream about, what you treasure. Your heart will affect your words, and you will give an account to God for every idle word.
posted by Mark Perry at 7:59 PM
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