Lips of Character

At my church, this is the year of "Get Healthy, Stay Healthy". And I'm trying to invest in life changes to be holistically healthy in every area of life.

I've been eating Proverbs for breakfast, recently. Let me tell you, there is a Word in there for everything.
And it SURELY caught me this morning.

I'll be honest. I sometimes do things in excess. No, I'm not talking about that extra cookie (though I'm definitely guilty of that, too).

I talk too much.

Not in an, "I'm ready to gossip or tell secrets way". I'm actually a pretty good confidant. I am just a natural born talker. As a writer, as a poet, an artist, and a speaker, it comes with the territory. And it has its perks (say, when networking, or improvising in a presentation or performing under pressure).

However, I am really in the refining fire, and a prudent speaker is so invaluable. In relationships, in ministry, in life. Temperance is a fruit of the Spirit, right?


According to James 1:9, I should be "swift to hear, slow to speak". I am learning that a woman who knows when to hold her tongue is a woman of wisdom (and we know how important that is from this post).

James 3:8 ESV says "no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil,full of deadly poison." This is pretty intense. I get a few things from this, including  1. It's in our nature for our tongue to be out of control, 2. our words can be VERY dangerous...fatal even, and  3. the ability to put our tongue into subjection doesn't come from human power..so it has to come from the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit. To get it right we have to give ourselves over to God and submit to the guidance of His Spirit.

The Word says the tongue is a restless evil. Jermemiah 17:9 says "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?".  Matthew 12:34 and Luke 6:45 tell us that "out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks". There's a parallel in here somewhere. I surmise that If our hearts change, our speech will, too.  And you know what? If my mouth is under subjection of the Holy Spirit, then it's safe to say the rest of me is, too.


I am often praying in this season that:
-God guards my lips
-every word is spoken under the discretion of His Spirit
-God teaches me to bask in the beauty of silence
-I only speak when it improves upon that silence
-as a friend, I learn when to just listen versus when to speak encouraging words
-everything I speak is genuinely in sincerity and LOVE


I am also learning how powerful the words of a child of God truly are...as strong as life and death (Proverbs 18:21). We can literally shape our experiences, our future, our relationships by the words we use and the words we receive. We can liberate others or incarcerate them. I frequently see a bad habit of saints just throwing around words like they are merely sounds with little significance. Any words spoken have weight. But the words of a child of God?...

We are filled with the very Spirit that spoke the WORLD into existence. I mean, before there was anything that was made, there was the Word (John 1). That's powerful. And that's the same Spirit that gives us the authority not only to speak against the enemy, but to speak over ourselves. We declare things into the atmosphere that actually manifest. I mean, Jesus spoke to a fig tree and cursed it...then told us we have the same ability!

That's a big deal. And big responsibility. Which is more reason why I want to be wise with how I wield that power. I want to edify! Not destroy. Not be wasteful with words that just fill up space, or do not produce profit. I want my words to matter. My words give a glimpse of my heart and paint a portrait of my character. The Word says "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver." (Proverbs 21:11)

I want lips of Godly character. What about you?

"On the lips of him who has understanding, wisdom is found...
The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom...
whoever restrains his lips is prudent...
The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable...
The tongue of the righteous is choice silver...
The lips of the righteous feed many...
The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life...

Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses"

Proverbs 10:11,12,13,20,21,31,32

So, the next time you're in the mirror, and you're applying your lip gloss or chapstick, and you're puckering up... take a moment to say a prayer. And consider the fruit they bear. Are they feeding the Kingdom?

love, compassion, royalty

Queen G