Freely Speaking Audio Devotion

Welcome to Freely Speaking, an OHSOFREE devotional ministry where we share our hearts and trust God for transformation. 

Today’s devotion was written by Kate Dreston.

“But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment” Matthew 12:36 (NKJV).

Have you ever heard a friend say, “I probably shouldn’t be telling you this, but…”

It’s always fun to catch up with a friend who has taken time out of their schedule to talk. Part of connecting with people is conversation. We talk about what is going on in our lives. People are a large part of that, and so we talk about others.

Without self-control, we can easily slide into saying things that aren’t anyone else’s business or that put others in a negative light. It requires discipline to refrain from saying something we would never say if the person were present.

At the time, our discussion may seem harmless. We may be only discussing what is happening around us. After all, they are just words.

Matthew 12:36 tells us every word is important. They can hurt feelings, damage reputations, and cause misunderstandings. Once the words come out of our mouths, they can‘t be unsaid and their effect can’t be undone.

When we talk about others, the person we are speaking of doesn’t have a chance to dispute or defend what we’ve said. We may think we know the truth about a situation, but in reality, we may not know all the facts.

I believe God wants us to exercise self-control and refrain from acting recklessly. This means managing our emotional impulses when we talk to others. Our instinct is to share the interesting information we have with someone, and self-control helps us to be mature and distinguish which words are harmless and which are not.

I challenge you this week to pay attention to the details of your conversations with friends. If you find that you are leaning towards gossip, use self-control to guide your words or to leave the conversation.

Thank you for joining us today. If you would like to learn more about OHSOFREE Ministries, please visit us at www.ohsofreeministries.com.