When I reflect on the words that I speak in a day, I am overwhelmed at quite a few aspects of my conversations. My words so very often hold so much negativity. I am either complaining about my classes or my lack of sleep or the amount of work that I have to do. Very seldom are my lips regularly praising my sweet Lord all throughout the day. I slip into a routine of speaking of His goodness to Him in the morning and then put on my easy to relate to, college girl facade that is just so tired of going to class.
My words are powerful and have the ability to be heard, and yet, I am wasting them on whining about an upcoming lab.
However, my gracious Savior doesn't love me part-time. He loves me every second of every hour of every day of every week. His love is so steadfast and perfect. It has no end. It is not based on a situation or action. He speaks truth and love and encouragement to me all of my days.
So, why am I not expressing my love to Him and to His children continually, steadfastly throughout the day with every single person I come in contact to?
Why aren't my words reflecting those of someone who is loved so perfectly by the most High?
Why isn't my speech forgiving and gracious like my Savior is?
Why aren't the conversations that I am taking part in pointing more people to our loving Father?
Every single word that comes from my lips is an opportunity to plea for the souls that I come in contact with to know the Lord. My words and the kindness in them are my testimony to the sweetness of my God. They are His praises that I should sing endlessly.
"Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." — Colossians 4:5-6
My prayer is that I would be more mindful of the speech that flows from my mouth.
I do not want to speak words without love. I want to speak with a purpose of sharing the compassion and generosity of the Lord in all of my conversations.
I pray that my words speak of the joy that has filled my heart. I hope that my comments are overflowing with sweet encouragement and humility.
I pray that communication would not be filled with entitlement and disappointment for I have no reason to claim either of those. I desire for even my most mundane conversations to be said with a sweetness and excitement.
My Father is good and forgiving and perfect, and I want my language to reflect that truth.
I can sit here and use my own writing as a reason for why I desire to see a difference in my daily conversation, but I could never build a sentence sufficient enough to speak the truth of God's word like the Bible does, so here are some ways that the Lord's word puts it:
"Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear." — Ephesians 4:29
"Her mouth speaks wisdom, and loving instruction is on her tongue." — Proverbs 31:26
"Set up a guard for my mouth; keep watch at the door of my lips." — Psalm 141:3
"My lips pour out praise, for You teach me Your statutes. My tongue sings about Your promise, for all your commandments are righteous." — Psalm 119:171-172