Are you a parent? If you are, maybe you can relate. On more than one occasion I’ve been correcting a child of mine or teaching them a lesson and when I open my mouth I swear my mother starts talking. The phrases, the tone, even the facial expressions take me back more years than I care to admit. My mother and I discussed this the other day through laughter. She has been an inspiration to me on so many levels, but especially when it comes to being a parent. I told her “Sometimes when I open my mouth you speak.”
After we hung up the phone, I couldn’t help but think about what I’d just said. Could the same be said about me and my heavenly Father? Can I say when I open my mouth to speak His words come out instead of mine. Proverbs 30:5 tells us “every word of God is flawless.” I wish I could say the same about my words, but sometimes they are smothered in flaws. King David must have struggled with some of the words that came out of his mouth too, because he penned a prayer to the Lord concerning his words. “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.” This should become our personal prayer on a daily basis.
If we are speaking in a way that is pleasing to the Lord and bringing Him glory, it isn’t by accident. We must be intentional in our word choice, tone, and the message we are attempting to convey to others. Only then will the words of our mouth be pleasing to Him. When we are willing to yield more than our thoughts and plans but also our words, the Lord will place His words in our mouth and we will become instruments of His goodness and grace [Isaiah 51:16]. Will you trust Him with your words? Can He trust you with His?