Compelling Utterances

As women, we are full of words. From the moment my alarm goes off in the morning, my mind is racing to and fro with lists of things to do, what the day holds, and often what I dreamed of in my sleep. My love for words has led me to my childhood nickname from my family- “Mouth of the South”. When I don’t speak my fill of words in a day, I often  spill at my first opportunity to talk about what’s on my heart to the first person to listen; often leaving them in a flurry and without much room to talk!

I was thinking about this love to talk the other day and wondered this simple question- How many words a day do we as women really say? Studies revealed we speak around six-teen-THOUSAND words a day! That’s a lot of words with a lot of room for error. James warns us that our tongues are full of lethal poison and are an untamable flaming fire. Our mouths have the capability of producing life and death. (James 3) On the flip side, words that come from God are pure, faultless, gentle, unwavering, and produce peace. How many of our words that we speak each day reflect the love of Jesus? And how many of them destroy and discourage?

History is full of Christ-followers who spoke words of life because they had hidden the Word of God in their hearts. Here’s five quotes that have produced life in me:

1. “God is most glorified in me when I am most satisfied in Him.” John Piper

2. “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” ~Jim Elliot

3. “God’s gifts put man’s dreams to shame.” ~Elizabeth Browning

4. “There is nothing worth living for, unless it is worth dying for.” ~Elisabeth Elliot

5. I cannot always understand, The way God leadeth me, The why, and when and wherefore Is oft a mystery; But I can trust His wisdom, I know His way is best, His heart knows no unkindness, And on His love I rest.~Unknown

 Our words have the power to produce life and death. How many of your sixteen thousand will bring glory to Jesus Christ today?

May the words of our mouths and meditations of our hearts be acceptable in Your sight, oh God! (Psalm 19:14)

All my Love,

Gretchen

“Make God’s supreme beauty and worth be the driving force of all your thinking.”

~John Piper