Can I Please Delete What I Said?

A few hours after reading the Apostle Paul’s stirring words, “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart… If you confess with your mouth ‘Jesus is Lord’….It is with your mouth that you confess and are saved” (Romans 10:8-10),  I found myself reflecting on what I’d just said and wishing I could jab the delete key and start again.What I said wasn’t mean. It wasn’t nasty. It wasn’t untrue. It was negative.

Out of the Heart, the Mouth Speaks (Jesus)

As I listened to reports of what God is doing in a dangerous part of the world and the vision He has given for further ministry, instead of joy, I found myself listing all the reasons (in my opinion) why their plans were not a good idea. And I shared a few of these thoughts with my conversation partner.Her unsmiling face stared at me—because the words I said didn’t just go into her ears, they also went into her heart. I robbed her of God’s joy. And I robbed myself, also.

Words Stick

Our words have power. They are sticky. And sometimes they are icky. So what can we do to use our mouths for good, to share the gospel and encourage others in their spiritual journey? Here are four freshly re-learned steps that help me—perhaps they’ll help you:

• Step 1: Confess your failure as soon as you recognize it (1 John 1:9).
• Step 2: Invite the Holy Spirit to go below the surface and show you your heart problem. What is it? In my case, clearly God wasn’t in the picture. I dismissed faith in Him in favor of faith in my human assessment (Psalm 139:23-24).
• Step 3: Pray, and train yourself with the Spirit’s help to speak positive, faith-focused words that point to God’s power—words that encourage trust in Him (Ephesians 3:20).
• Step 4: Intentionally practice praising God so truths about Him stick in your mind and can quickly challenge any negative, faith-extinguishing thoughts (Ps. 146:1).

Let’s Talk: Speaking negatively and saying things we regret are part of the human condition. However, we are not stuck in old patterns of speaking—we’ve been given minds to think carefully, a will to choose what to say, and self-control to keep us from blurting out harmful and faithless words. As you reflect on the use of your mouth: where do you need the Holy Spirit’s help? How have you experienced His help in the past? I’d love to hear.Blessings,Poppy SmithInternational speaker, multi-published author, Bible teacher, and spiritual coachInspiring Women to Thrive! Permission to use this article is granted provided the following credit is fully included.Poppy Smith is funny, warm, and passionate about helping women grow spiritually and personally so they experience the love and power of Christ in life’s ups and downs. A former teaching leader with Bible Study Fellowship, Poppy has a Masters in Spiritual Formation and ministers extensively as a retreat and conference speaker both in the US and around the world. For more information about Poppy’s heart, her books and ministry, please visit her website at www.poppysmith.com.