Idle Words

Recently, I was reading a passage in Matthew 12 when I across this verse:

But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. (verse 12, KJV)

Rarely does a verse jump out at me with such force as it did that night. Words are something I often treat flippantly like they don't matter. Here, however, we are presented with a very different picture. Our words do matter. Not just in this life, but in the life to come.

Words have power. They have the power to build up or tear down. With them, we can bring whole hosts of people to Christ or we can create rifts in society and destroy relationships. 

James 3:9 describes this dynamic perfectly when he discusses the tongue and its power:

With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. (ESV)

In today's world, much conflict is conducted through the medium of language. Social media feeds are battlegrounds for ideas. We as Christians must be careful to be above reproach. Words are an incredible gift of God and we must use them to extend his kingdom to the furthest reaches of the world.

But then there are the regular words. Those that pass unnoticed from our mouths day in and day out. We may not think they matter much, but as with everything we do, they have consequences. As I reflect back on the way my time has been spent over the past months, I feel a twinge of guilt. I may not have destroyed people's lives with my words or taken part in a language war but the warning in this verse still stands. Because every word I speak that does not bring full glory to God is a wasted moment. 

1 Corinthians 10:31 says, "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." (ESV)

That doesn't mean they need to be related to the gospel in some way. We live practical lives in which language must be utilized for all purposes. But as we go about the regular mundane tasks of our day, we need to make an active effort to build up with our words. We need to stay away from foolish joking and course talking. In short, our words should reflect Christ's words. Fads arise and become the discussion of the day. Everyone joins in as if their lives depend on it. And yet, in a matter of months time, the fad disappears and is replaced as if it never existed.

I have experienced this many times. I'm ashamed of wanting to discuss something more relevant and so I join into the light conversation. But this is not an issue of no consequence. Life is short. If we really love Christ as we say we do, our words should reflect it.

Let the words of my mouth... be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer. (Psalm 139:14, ESV)