Our Thoughts Effect

Our Words

 

"If the mouth be bad, the mind is not good. If the mouth be good, the mind is good." - Matthew Henry

 

                                        

Someone once said - "Give burning thoughts time before they become flaming words." We can see from this quote that our thoughts and words go hand in hand.
 

                                                                                                                                      

This is an important Biblical principle to keep in mind. After all, it is in these two areas - the mind and the mouth - that we run into most trouble in our lives. It behooves us to pay strict attention to what the Holy Spirit is wanting to teach us along these lines.

 

Let's look into the Scriptures to see how this works.

 

Psalm 10 gives an excellent example. (It refers to the wicked man, but we can take the same principle and apply it to the righteous.)

 

Psalm 10:4 says about the wicked man - "...God is not in all his thoughts."

Going further down to Verse 7, we read - "His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is mischief and vanity."

 

Here we have a perfect example of how the contents of the mind effects the words of the mouth. The wicked man does not think about God or godly things. As a result, his words are wicked, ungodly, and evil.

 

Using this same principle, what kind of words do you suppose the righteous man will have who meditates on God and His Holy Word all day long?

His words will be power-packed - full of victory, faith, love, encouragement, kindness, and healing.

 

What a man thinks on effects his words.

 

Let's look at a few more Scriptures.

 

Philippians 4:8 instructs all brethren to "think on these things" - "whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise..."

Proverbs 12:5 seems to say the same thing  - "The thoughts of the righteous are right..."

 

So we see that a righteous man has a considerably distinct way of thinking from that of the wicked man. As his thoughts, so should his words be different as well.

 

Proverbs 15:26 says - "...the words of the pure are pleasant words." A righteous man who thinks
on things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of a good report will speak pleasant words.

 

Colossians 3 gives another example of this principle.

Verse 2 instructs us to - "Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth."

In other words, set your mind on the things of God - on spiritual things.
 

Colossians 3:16  tells us what to specifically set our minds on - "Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom..." If we will do this, what will be the result?

Verse 16 goes on to say - "...teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord."

If we meditate on the Word of God, our words will be full of grace, seasoned with salt, and we will know how to answer every man who asks us the reason for our hope.

 

Lastly, let's look at one more Scripture pertaining to this discussion at hand.

 

Proverbs 30:32 says - "...if thou hast thought evil, lay thine hand upon thy mouth." What this Scripture is saying is that because you thought evil, evil words will automatically flow out of your mouth. Therefore - if need be - hold your hand over your mouth to keep any corrupt, immoral, ungodly, or bitter words from coming forth.

 

As we can see from these examples, our thoughts definitely effect our words.

 

If we think godly thoughts, we will speak godly words.

If we think impure thoughts, we will speak impure words.

If we think proud thoughts, we will speak proud words.

If we think hateful and bitter thoughts, we will speak hateful and bitter words.

 

Is it any wonder that, in Psalm 19:14, David prayed to the Lord - "Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in Thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer"?

Shouldn't we pray the same?

 

This is the only way that we can ever think to please God.

 

Connie