What Does Your Mouth Speak?

Luke 6:45 NKJV, “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.”

One of the fastest ways to find out what is in the heart of a person, is to listen to what comes out of the mouth of that person. That explains why we are admonished to, “hide God’s Word in our hearts so that we will not sin against Him (Psalm 119:11).” God’s Word teaches us, and it builds our character. It also softens our hearts so that we will become sensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit. When we are seeking the Lord, and striving to walk in love towards others, that will be evident through the words we speak as well as our actions.

Photo by: Rodolfo Clix (from Brazil 🇧🇷)

Several years ago I hosted a home Bible study, and one of the ladies became offended at the “harsh attitudes” of two of the other ladies that were present. She let me know a couple of days later via email, that she would not be returning to the Bible study. I apologized for the incident and invited her to return. She appreciated and accepted my apology. However, she declined to return and used Luke 6:45 as the reason why. She felt the hearts of those two ladies (by the way everyone in the group was a professing Christian) were not pure, so returning would be useless. She said, “Out of the abundance of their hearts, their mouths speak!”

The funny thing is that those same two ladies who offended her asked about her the next week. I let them know she had decided not to return to the group. They were disappointed. It was clear that they had no clue that their attitudes/words were offensive. I’m guessing that I must have missed the conversation that went on between these three ladies. After all there were a few times where several conversations we’re going on at once, (Welcome to Miami!) But anyway, it was a learning experience to be aware of not only what we say, but how we say it.

Photo by: Craig Adderley (from Pennsylvania 🇺🇸)

Being in South Florida, the group was very multi-cultural, so people express themselves differently. Some have stronger personalities than others. But even so, we have to make sure our personalities are in line with the Word of God. Cultural background can’t be used as an excuse to speak harshly to others. We do have to guard our hearts, even against cultural practices that don’t line up with God’s Word. Praying and asking God to help us to unlearn wrong attitudes is a must. He desires for us to be gentle in spirit.

Proverbs 4:23 NIV, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”

Guarding our hearts should always be a top priority. We must be aware of what we allow our eyes to see, and our ears to hear. When we are born again Christians, our hearts belong to Jesus, and we have chosen to dedicate our lives to Him. He desires for us to have clean hearts that will bring forth good things. Our hearts should be overflowing with God’s love and truth, because that is what will point others to Jesus and have an impact on those around us.

“A persons most useful asset is not a head full of knowledge but a heart full of love, and an ear ready to listen, and a hand willing to help others”. Anonymous

Photo by: Ylanite Koppens (from the Netherlands 🇳🇱)

Author: Dawn

The love of Jesus will never fail you. Thank you for visiting my blog.

69 thoughts on “What Does Your Mouth Speak?”

  3. Truth on so many levels! We can have such a staunch constitution on spiritual things at times that we turn people off and away! This is a very timely message! We must be very careful how we convey things, because it can very well be the difference in us being used by the Lord to impact people’s lives! People are always watching and listening!

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    2. Yes! People are watching us and listening to our words. Sometimes we need to just stop talking and take time to listen to others. We don’t always have to have the last word. When we do speak it should be done with love. Thanks for your insight!

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    1. I agree Jeanne! We need to stop and think about what we are thinking and doing. It reminds me of the verse in James 1:19, “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,”

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  8. This is a great post!….so true! We have to be careful what we say or do, and that our words line up with God’s Word. We have to weigh our words carefully…

    But even then, with our “best” intentions, we can still manage to offend someone unintentionally.

    I’m sorry you lost a fellow bible studier. I wish she had kept coming and not have let those other ladies bother her. 😢🙏🏼

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    1. Thank you Renee! That’s true, we can mess up unintentionally, I guess that’s where forgiveness towards one another comes in.

      I really wish she had stayed too. The study was only a couple of months because it was in conjunction with a series the Pastor was doing. So she would not have been stuck with us indefinitely lol.

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  9. Oh yes, Dawn. Reminder that is needed for me every single day. Being from a different culture, I have really had to ask the Lord to help me unlearn some things and relearn others. Many times our words and actions that accompany them can cause others so much unnecessary wounds. We must be careful to allow Holy Spirit to rule and reign 24/7.

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    2. I learned a lot down there about being patient because people come from different backgrounds. I had to stay focused on my purpose and not get sucked into competing and comparing myself to others. You’re right, we can cause unnecessary wounds if not careful.

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      1. I love that, Dawn – remaining focused on your purpose. Truly, that keeps comparison and competition at bay. When we stay in our lane, we focus on our own stuff and our own growth and what He is doing in our lives. Whew! Thank Ya Jesus (old church lady voice) 💃🏾

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    1. Thanks Valeria! This is a much needed topic, especially in a world that encourages people to think mostly about themselves instead of others. Glad you’ll be focusing on it. Looking forward to your series!

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    1. Thank you! Yes things can be touchy depending on the people. But I think the benefits of the fellowship and study of the Word far outweigh any issues. I’m back in Virginia now, but it’s still not too far from Georgia. 🤗

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  13. ….oops, I accidentally hit send! Maybe I wasn’t supposed to “say” what I was fixin’ to write, so I will say this, “Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.” Colossians 4:6. 🙂

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    1. Lol. Now I’m curious about what you were going to say?? 🤔 I deleted the word for you. That is a perfect verse. We need to be careful. It’s not always what we say but how we say it.

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      1. I meant to say multi-cultural can be a challenge, but living in different states can be a challenge, too! Recently I helped in VBS at church. The director of our VBS class moved to Oklahoma several years ago from a different state far from Oklahoma. All week, I kept reminding myself, “She doesn’t mean anything by the tone of her remarks. That’s how they say and do things in her ‘neck of the woods’.” Communication is a two-way street! I know being an “Okie” can be a challenge for others, too!

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      2. Yes it can be a challenge. I had to understand in Florida with all the many cultures, that people can be very different. It was another level of patience lol.

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  17. Thanks so much for this, Dawn! So much truth here! Our words matter, as well as the way we speak them. I have heard many a thing said in my day that I am sure was well-meaning, but the tone took me completely aback. Above all, we must remember Who we are representing. I know of many instances where I was less than careful, though it’s something I strive hard to be! I have also been that one who left a study out of discomfort over things said. For me, as a shy individual, it was easier than attempting to face down that situation. Part of me wishes I had been bold enough to stick it out. I pray another opportunity to reach out to this woman will come down the road for you. Blessings!

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    1. You’re welcome Marisa! I’ve been on both sides too, the offended and the offender. It’s a learning process to make sure we’re walking and talking in love. I actually did reach out to the lady months after the Bible study via email to say hello. However I never got a response from her. Blessings to you my friend!

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  19. This is such a good blog, Dawn! So timely for me, too. Just today I asked some of my siblings if I should share some good news with someone we love who is going through a very hard time. Would my good news rub salt in her wounds? My brother reminded me of a verse in Proverbs that talks about singing songs to a heavy heart and how sometimes that’s not appropriate. So I did not send my good news to my hurting loved one, and am thankful for wise advice. Your blog is the same, wise and a great reminder to watch our words – for so many reasons. Thank you!

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    1. You’re welcome! That was very thoughtful of you to consider your loved ones feelings. There may be a more appropriate time to share the news later on. But this is a very good point you brought up….we need to be mindful of what others are going through before we speak. Thanks Patty for sharing this!

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  20. It is definitely important to guard our hearts. As you stated some people have a very forceful personality, but they do not intend to hurt anyone. It is good that in these circumstances we just talk about it, apologise and move one. Some people are easily offended, but they too must learn to be tolerant and patient with others. God wants us to have a balance personality. Thank you for sharing.

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    1. Great point! Talking about it is important. That can help to resolve many misunderstandings. My initial response was that the person who left the group was being too sensitive (especially since she was in school to be a Christian counselor) but I knew she had to do what she felt was best and I didn’t want to judge her. You’re welcome!

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