What if every time we got ready to open our mouths and let words escape past the gate of our teeth we closed the gate and took a few seconds to see if the words we are going to say would be acceptable in God’s sight? What if our thoughts and the emotions stored up inside of us were analyzed against what would be pleasing to God? How different would our world be? Proverbs 18:21 says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.” If you had to eat the fruit of your words, how would they taste? Would your words bring life to another person? If your words do not edify (encourage, build up) another person or they do not honor and glorify God, the perhaps the better option would keep the gate closed and not say them at all. Paul urges us in 2 Corinthians 10:5 to “take every thought captive to obey Christ.” If our thoughts and emotions are not what they should be, it might be time to get alone with God and confess them and ask for His forgiveness and, if necessary, seek forgiveness from others as well. Let me challenge you today to utter only words that would honor and glorify God and to strive to take your thoughts and emotions captive. Let out only what would be acceptable in the sight of God.
