A Fruitful Journey

Words can bring peace, wisdom, encouragement and life. They can also destroy, separate, and bring heartache.

6 years ago, the Lord showed me how many times He mentions tongue, word(s), lips, heart, and mouth in Proverbs. Though I was no stranger to Proverbs and had read these words before, this time I felt His instruction was directed toward me. I even remember saying, "Lord, I see how important the words that come out of my mouth reflect who you are in my life." I took a quick inventory of my words by asking myself if the words I spoke reflected who God is. My answer . . . some of the time. Did I set out to make a great change? No. Like a bill to be paid much later, I tucked it away and didn't give it much thought until I started to see the costs.

Why did I turn aside this gentle nudging by God? Because I was convicted. My husband and I were going through a difficult time in our marriage. The words coming out of my mouth were definitely not pleasing to the Lord and certainly didn't help build my marriage in any way. I let my words get the best of me. My pride and self-righteous behavior gave me a sense of feeling in control. Proverbs 18:6 (NIV) says, "A fool's lips bring him strife, and his mouth invites a beating." Are you familiar with the antacid commercial where the food starts slapping a person in the face symbolizing the indigestion the person is about to have? That's similar to the fight I imagine I have with my wayward lips. The top lip slaps my forehead and my bottom lip slaps my chin. Not a pretty sight. Though it's a humorous picture when you think about it, it's not so funny to the person who receives the beating from my lips and it is certainly not funny for the way it makes me feel afterward.

That time in my marriage saw me clinging to God more than ever. As a result, I recognized how gracious and merciful my God is and how my words were not. How could I not extend grace and mercy when God had so freely given it to me? It was hurting my relationship with God, hurting me, and hurting my marriage. It was time to ask for forgiveness and remind myself of God's truth. I wanted my lips to be fruitful and for my words to be sweet to soul and healing to the bones - Proverbs 16:24.

Proverbs 18:20 (NIV) "From the fruit of his mouth a man's stomach is filled; with the harvest from his lips he is satisfied." In studying this verse, "stomach" means our heart. Are the words coming out of my mouth (from the heart) satisfying to the Lord and to those around me?

I'd love for you to join me on this journey as we share how the Lord has taught and continues to teach us through His word about how our lips can remain fruitful. It is certain to bring us peace, wisdom, encouragement and life.

Until next week,