“If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all” Oh my, can’t you hear your mom or grandmother saying this. I can close my eyes, hear my mom’s voice saying, “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all and you should treat others as you would want to be treated all the time.”

Somewhere, somehow, in this world, we have forgotten this simple rule. One of the greatest commandments in the Bible is to love your neighbor as yourself. How can we possible do that if we are sarcastic, hateful, and unkind? Have you ever thought about how you speak to others? Are you using your words to encourage and build up others? Are you speaking with a loving tone in your voice or is there hatred and sarcasms?

What causes us to forget the simple Golden Rule. I think that feelings and emotions are the key. Unkind words can and do flow from our mouths in moments of hurt and anger, or jealousy and inadequacy, and even fear and doubt.

In scripture Psalm 141:3 (NIV): Set a guard over my mouth Lord;” God tells us to guard our mouths.. In 1Peter 3:9 “Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. God wants us to speak with love and kindness.

It’s not just about the words we speak, but our tone of voice, our body language, and our attitude. Take a minute to think about this “It isn’t what you said; it is how you said it.”  WOW, I am so guilty. I have said things with a tone of sarcasm or frustration. Have you been speaking to someone and had them roll their eyes at you? Actions like this show disrespect, the same as harshness in a tone of voice. Words coming from our mouth aren’t like the written words we can erase and rewrite. I found myself writing an email to someone out of anger and frustration and as I finished it I took a moment to reread it. OH my, I wasn’t very proud of what I had written, but I have. I am grateful that I could erase and rewrite those words. We don’t have that redo option when we shout in anger or make that hateful sarcastic comment. Our mouth doesn’t have a delete button. Our words remain long after spoken.

Have you given any thought to the fact that the Bible states we shall all be held accountable for our words? Throughout the Bible, God reminds us to watch our words, speak from the heart and be truthful for we will one day be held accountable for the things we say.

Matthew 12:36 ESV “I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak.

Luke 6:45 NIV A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”

Ephesians 4:29 NIV “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”

One of my favorite scriptures about words is Proverbs 16:24 ( NIV) Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.

      My prayer

Oh Gracious and Loving Father,

As we speak to one another, I pray that we can remember to speak from the heart, a heart filled with God’s love. When we speak our words, may they be gracious and kind. Let our words be your words, let the tone of our voices be sweet and pure, and let love and kindness fill our words. I want to speak with the love of JESUS always. Lord, Let me speak kingdom words in a kingdom voice.   

AMEN.