Careless Words and Whispers

Careless Words and Whispers Devotional Reading June 29, 2023

“Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.” —James 1:26, NIV

The ability to use words effectively in verbal sparring is lauded—highly praised as a priceless character trait. We love to demonstrate to others that we will not be taken advantage of and readily use our words to defend ourselves. We love to speak harmful words and we love to hear harmful words spoken about others. The entertainment industry has promoted gossip for decades. Nothing published attracts millions of views like “juicy gossip!” But the emotions of jealousy and hatred are the root causes of gossiping about others whether the information is true or false.

Careless words and gossiping whispers reveal the hidden sins of our hearts. “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?” —Jeremiah 17:9

The journey of Sanctification is lifelong and we cannot be transformed without the Divine Intervention of the Holy Spirit. It takes the human effort of humility, confessing our unrighteous habits, and inviting the Holy Spirit into our lives for the spiritual transformation of our character that God requires.

Our God-given gift of a sound mind must take precedence over the emotional responses that we speak to hurt others or in retaliation because we are hurt. The truth is brutal so it must be spoken gift-wrapped in much love! Make prayer your first response! Praying for the power of the Holy Spirit to give us self-control and wisdom in times of conflict empowers us and builds our Christian character. Should we respond? Jesus used silence many times when He knew that His words would not change the hearts of those listening.

Gossiping is always damaging! It is a prevalent sinful habit among many Christians. When we engage in talking about others whether the information is the truth or lies, we possess an unrighteous spirit from Satan. Gossiping is destructive! It hurts others, destroys relationships, defiles our character, and separates us from God!

Take strong action against gossip! Be bold and let everyone know that you do not participate in gossiping by walking away [using silence effectively], if on the cell phone, text or verbalize, “I do not gossip.” Choose alternate programs to watch or listen to, and pray for Divine Intervention. Gossiping is one of the hardest habits to break.

We can never retract our spoken words nor can we soothe the hearts of the recipients of our harmful words. Replace careless words and whispers with prayer. And always pray before you respond! Remember to use silence as a weapon against the spiritual warfare of speaking harmful words.

Scripture: “Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips [to keep me from speaking thoughtlessly].” Psalm 141:3, AMP

Prayer: Lord, we ask for forgiveness for the many times our spoken words were harmful. We admit that we need the Holy Spirit’s fruit of love and self-control to overcome our unrighteousness. We pray for the strength to be silent and to walk away from strife. In Jesus’ Worthy name, we pray. Amen.

© 2023 Steps 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions and Woman. You Are Loved by God Ministries