Show of hands, how many of us have spoke something and immediately regretted what we spoke? Yes, me too. Thank you Lord for your mercy and grace! On the flip side of things, I have also felt Holy Spirit shut my big mouth. If you are wondering how, continue to read! There is one scripture I declare every single day, if not multiple times a day. It is…
“Lord, set up a guard for my mouth; keep watch at the door of my lips” -Psalm 141:3 CSB
Do not get me wrong, I have made my fair share of mistakes. I think we all have. However, through this simple prayer, Lord put a door over my mouth so I may not speak thoughtlessly. I have felt the Holy Spirit come alive and shut my mouth so I didn’t say anything I would later regret. My pastor once said, “Do I want to eat the fruit of this later?”. As we speak, even as I write, we need to have an awareness that the words we speak are going to produce something. Are we going to choose to speak life or death?
This blog used to be called Speak Life until Holy Spirit led me to change the name to Let Love Be My Motive. When I first came to Jesus I realized how much of an impact words had on me growing up. The family, friends, coworkers, and others that surrounded me spoke things into me that shaped me as a child. Ultimately, many words that were spoken over me shaped many of the decisions that I would make further on in life.
Our words have power, and it is wise for us (with the help of the Holy Spirit) to keep watch over what we are speaking into people. When people do not have a relationship with Jesus, they do not have any sense of identity. If they do, it is usually made up of what others have said about them. There are still things people have spoken to me years ago that I have to refuse accept lie and replace with God’s truth about who I actually am.
It is essential that Holy Spirit lead the way with what we are speaking. We are to edify one another. Even if Holy Spirit is leading you to correct someone, this MUST be done in love. The words we speak have the power to build up or tear down. Let us be diligent to ask Holy Spirit for help and put a door over our mouthes so we may not speak thoughtlessly.
Do you have any scripture that helps you remember to speak life? Comment below!
So thankful for Abba who celebrates with us when we do things right! It’s not just a little celebration, “everything in him” celebrates!
Even when we miss the mark we are met with his love, mercy, and grace.
Abba is out biggest encourager, our biggest help, and the only one we can always rely on.
I am so thankful to have Abba.
He fulfills every void with love, trades worry for peace, and nothing can seperate us from his love.
Let the mediation of our hearts and minds be pleasing to you, our strength our redeemer. May we only speak what makes you “celebrate”.
For more Daily Devotions like this, check out @letlovebemymotive on Instagram.
Please take the time to prayerfully read through this scripture before reading the post:
Who has believed our message? To whom has the Lord revealed his powerful arm? My servant grew up in the Lord ’s presence like a tender green shoot, like a root in dry ground. There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him. He was despised and rejected— a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care. Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins! But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all. He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. Unjustly condemned, he was led away. No one cared that he died without descendants, that his life was cut short in midstream. But he was struck down for the rebellion of my people. He had done no wrong and had never deceived anyone. But he was buried like a criminal; he was put in a rich man’s grave. But it was the Lord ’s good plan to crush him and cause him grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants. He will enjoy a long life, and the Lord ’s good plan will prosper in his hands. When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of his experience, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins. I will give him the honors of a victorious soldier, because he exposed himself to death. He was counted among the rebels. He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels. Isaiah 53:1-12 NLT
As I read this chapter, I cannot help but be emotional about what Jesus had endured for us to be whole and healed.
I reflect on the fact that he had done absolutely nothing wrong, never decieving anyone, never sinned, and suffered the worst kind of death for us. Jesus did everything out of the abundance of his love and still does today.
Take a moment to reflect:
Can you imagine being falsely accused and going through a crucifixion? Being alone and laying down your life for those who won’t even acknowledge who you are? Laying down your life for those who ultimately betrayed you?
Not forgetting to mention, Jesus even though he was oppressed and suffering, stayed quiet and did not speak a word.
I think this speaks volumes about how we are called to live. Jesus being our perfect example, never complained and only spoke out of love.
Most of us, myself included, complain on a daily basis. The weather is too hot, too cold, ect. Yet, Jesus going through the worst suffering all alone and not deserving it, chose to be quiet and endure.
This blows me away and also convicts me to ask Holy Spirit for help. I need his help with complaining (which is the absence of thankfulness) but to also help me be quiet when I suffer. If I cannot say anything in love or thankfulness, it is better to say nothing at all.
Many times love comes in the form of correction. As I have been meditating on this, Holy Spirit has gently corrected me and showed me areas where I need to be more diligent and seek him in. But the reason why it made a difference is because it was done in love.
A question I had for God was how did the Lord endure such gruesome suffering and not complain or speak?
Lets be real, humble, and transparent. I have a hard time not complaining about the weather and when someone does me wrong I even have had the urgency to lash back. But Jesus, he doesn’t do this. How!?
If you read there is a verse that he pointed out to me that changed my perspective not only on suffering but the love of Jesus.
“When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of his experience, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins. I will give him the honors of a victorious soldier, because he exposed himself to death. He was counted among the rebels. He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels”-Isaiah 53:11-12 NLT
First, Jesus was not focused on his anguish and his suffering. He had the eternal perspective that what he was enduring was worth every ounce of pain he felt. When we are suffering we are not called to focus on the things of earth but the things of heaven.
Second, his eternal perspective was a relationship with us. Jesus suffered to set us free, make his whole, and for our healing.
I am in awe that he not only stayed quiet during the trials because he only spoke in love and thankfulness. I am also in awe that his eternal perspective that gave him the strength to endure the worst kind of suffering was his love for us. Yall I am in tears writing this.
My prayer for you today is that even if you are suffering, being falsely accused, feel alone, and are being rejected. You remember that Jesus knows how you feel and died for you to be whole and healed. I pray that you forgive as freely as he has forgiven us. I pray that he puts a door over your mouth so you may not speak thoughtlessly and you always speak the truth in love or do not speak at all, following his perfect example. I pray that you continually get a deeper revelation of his love for you and your grab ahold of his love that makes you whole and healed.
ABBA, I thank you for sacraficial servant love. I can only pray that we follow your example. I thank you for your mercy and grace and that you have died to make us whole, free, and healed. There is nothing you will not do for us. In Jesus name, Amen.
“He who guards his mouth preserves his life, But he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction.”
Proverbs 13:3 NKJV
Before I Speak:
Is it kind? Is it true? Is it necessasy? 🤔
Let all we speak, be done in love❤
Let us be quiet and not be filled with idle talk🔇
Only speaking when God has led us to speak🙏💭
Put a door over my mouth Lord🔐
Let the meditation of my heart and mind be pleasing to you! 👆❤
Questions To Ask God Before I Speak:
Is this something you want me to speak or just my opinion?
Does this build up or tear down?
Do I want to eat the fruit of this?
Does this please God? Is it praiseworthy?
If what you are speaking is not good, check your thoughts! Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.
Yesterday, my husband & I attended a Matthew West concert at Pentecostals of Alexandria. While I was there, the Lord revealed some things to me. When I arrived I knew things were different in the Pentacostal Religion. Most of the women were dressed in skirts, with their hair up in a bun, and most men were dressed in suits. I began to ask the woman sitting next to me about their doctrine. She kindly explained some of the things they do and why they do them. As Matthew West came out, everyone was standing up, hooting and hollering, with their hands raised.
Then…it was so weird, especially looking back on it after it happened. It was like all the sudden, all of us were pushed down to sit. It almost looked like the domino effect. If you’ve never saw me praising God, I usually have my hands raised, swaying back and forth, or one had is raised and the other is always on my heart. I sat down, and looked immediately at my husband and said, “That was weird.”. Something didn’t sit well in my spirit. I said to him, “It was like Satan flicked us and we all fell over.” Which later brought me to the scripture Ephesians 4:14.
“Then we will no longer be like babies. We will not be people who are always changing like a ship that the waves carry one way and then another. We will not be influenced by every new teaching we hear from people who are trying to deceive us—those who make clever plans and use every kind of trick to fool others into following the wrong way.” -Ephesians 4:14 ERV
I am not relating this scripture by stating that this congregation didn’t have sound doctrine nor am I saying it is wrong to sit down at a Matthew West concert. (Sorry Matt!)
The reason why I was reminded of this scripture is how many times do we follow the crowd instead of where Christ is taking us? We see someone else doing something that looks cool, so we try it. Even though it goes against everything God’s word states, it’s okay because its “socially acceptable” by our friends, family, and even some of our Church family.
“You people are not faithful to God! You should know that loving what the world has is the same as hating God. So anyone who wants to be friends with this evil world becomes God’s enemy.” -James 4:4 ERV
Sarcasm and swearing are two of the biggest examples I can think of at the moment. If you knew me back in the day, every other word was either drenched in sarcasm or profanity. The word has socially accepted sarcasm. Many people think it is hilarious. But when we begin to look at saying things sarcastically, it speaks death instead of life into whoever we are talking to.
Sarcasm:
a sharp and often satirical or ironic utterance designed to cut or give pain
a mode of satirical wit depending for its effect on bitter, caustic, and often ironic language that is usually directed against an individual
the use or language of sarcasm
We are called to edify one another, not cut one another down.
“Let no foul or polluting language, nor evil word nor unwholesome or worthless talk [ever] come out of your mouth, but only such [speech] as is good and beneficial to the spiritual progress of others, as is fitting to the need and the occasion, that it may be a blessing and give grace (God’s favor) to those who hear it.” -Ephesians 4:29
“Let there be no filthiness (obscenity, indecency) nor foolish and sinful (silly and corrupt) talk, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting or becoming; but instead voice your thankfulness [to God].” -Ephesians 5:4
It has been a journey from turning my dark language into something colorful that glorifies God. I am not perfect, I trip up sometimes, but I am a lot better than I used to be! As Children of God, we are called to show Our Father’s character. People that don’t know God aren’t searching for people who are friends with this fallen world, they are searching for people who reflect Christ’s character. My prayer is that when people see me, they know something is different about me and they want what I have. Which is a relationship with God!
My reflection questions to end this post for today are:
How often do you edify people with your words?
On the flip side, how often are you sarcastic?
Do you go with the world’s trends instead of sticking with the Word of God?
If you were the only one standing up for God, would you stand or sit down with everyone else?
Thank-you Holy Spirit for the inspiration of this post! I hope that you enjoyed this post today, even if it was challenging. If you aren’t stretched, you aren’t growing! Remember, as you are going through this, rely on God for strength and don’t be too hard on yourself. Change doesn’t happen overnight and the fact that you are even attempting is a good thing! If you have any questions, need accountability, or need some support through this process feel free to message, comment, or email me!
