What's the Word

Did you ever notice that when you are around a person or group of people who talk negative, how it seems to weigh on you? For the most part, negative speech comes from people whose heart, their most inner person, has been either hurt or has been inundated most of their life with negative speech from those around them. Jesus tells us, "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks." (Luke 6:45)

Negative speech usually comes in three forms, blaming, murmuring and complaining. People who continuously play the "Blame Game" blame everyone else for the problems in life that they experience. Basically, one goes through life not taking responsibility for anything. All they do is blame someone or something. This certainly is nothing new. As a matter of fact, the blame game started in the Garden of Eden immediately after the fall of man. "Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?” So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.” And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?” Then the man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.” And the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” (Genesis 3:9-13) Notice that the Adam blamed the woman and God and the woman blamed the serpent.

Murmuring is very similar to complaining. The difference is that one who murmurs speaks their distress, displeasure or discontentment in a low voice so that they are the only one that can hear clearly, whereas one who complains voices their distress, displeasure or discontentment loud and clear. The children of Israel were notorious for their murmuring and complaining against God, especially His way of doing things. "Now when the people complained, it displeased the Lord..." (Numbers 11:1) "And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron..." (Numbers 14:2)

In the incidences shown above, we see that blaming, murmuring and complaining comes with consequences. Solomon tells us, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit." (Proverbs 18:21) For Adam and the woman, they lost their perfect and pure standing before God; were banished from the Garden; lost their spiritual dominion to their soul (mind, will and emotions); became spiritually dead and eventually died physically. (Genesis 3) For Israel, they took themselves out from Gods provision, protection and blessings and became prey for their enemies, both natural and spiritual, to have their way with them. (Deuteronomy 28)

It is very important that believers stand watch over their tongue for the same reason. Our words will either takes us captive, "You are snared by the words of your mouth; You are taken by the words of your mouth" (Proverbs 6:2) "A fool’s mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul." (Proverbs 18:7) or they will put us over, "A man will be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth," (Proverbs 12:14) "He who guards his mouth preserves his life" (Proverbs 13:3) "A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit." (Proverbs 15:4) As we can see, negative speech has serious consequences whereas wholesome speak releases blessings.

The Apostle Peter tells us, "Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing" (1 Peter 3:8-9) Unfortunately, many believers never receive the blessings (promises) of God due their their constant blaming, murmuring and complaining. If you find yourself in the position of always looking at something or someone to blame, always murmuring and or complaining due to your distress, displeasure or discontentment, then it is time for you to have heart surgery. Not with a surgeons scalpel, but with the Word of God.

The Bible tells us, "He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions." (Psalm 107:20)  "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12) God's Word is so powerful that it heals the heart by revealing to us the things that are of the mind, will and emotions, which have not been born again, and the spirit, which has been recreated in the image of God in righteousness and true holiness. So. let the Word of God rule and reign in our heart so that we no longer "Let corrupt words proceed out of our mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers." (Ephesians 4:29) May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all...