When you know Christ, every word counts! Don’t let your words be careless and idle, accomplishing nothing, but instead bring Christ into every conversation. Your words should be used to bless!
I’m Joni Eareckson Tada and when you know Christ, every word counts.
My friend Rana was helping me get up the other morning, and she was lamenting a bit about the women’s social at her church. It was a group of Christians who got together for lunch and, for the most part, the talk centered on the latest Netflix series, their favorite food blogger, and photos of kids and grandkids. There was even a little lamenting about the politics between Russia and Ukraine. Now all this was fine, but Rana commented that this was a group of Christian sisters who were getting together; yet not once was Christ mentioned. Or even the suggestion to pray about those kids and grandkids, or the situation in Ukraine. It troubled Rana and after we talked about it, she decided that the next time, she would at least suggest that they close their time in prayer.
After Rana left my house that morning, I just happened to read the words of Jesus in Matthew 12:36-37. He said, now get this, he said, “I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” Immediately I thought of Rana and those women at her church.
Because their discussion around the lunch table that day was not evil. It wasn’t dark. It wasn’t blasphemous. It wasn’t even bad. Or then again, perhaps it was, because it was careless. And that’s the thing that should give us pause when we hear what Christ has to say to us in Matthew 12. One day, you and I, and Rana and those women in her church, one day our every word will be measured and weighed. All of them, millions of them, will be remembered and required at the judgment seat of God. So exactly what are careless words?
Pastor Greg Morse answers that. He writes, “Careless words are idle, purposeless, lazy… useless. The Greek word for ‘careless’ (argos) is used to describe men who stand around in the marketplace when they should be working (such as in Matthew 20), people who go from house to house wasting time and causing trouble (as in 1 Timothy 5), Cretans who do not produce the good they ought to (Cretans are mentioned in Titus 1). [Careless words] are idle words. [And] Idle words wander about unproductive, [they] travel around causing trouble, [and they] refuse to bless as they ought. And we will give an account for every single one.”
Now, you may think all this is a little excessive. Because we’re only human. But one reason Jesus is so specific about our words, is because there is no middle ground with them. With our words, we are either nudging people toward the Lord Jesus, or with our words we are pushing people away from him. And idle words that do not bless are usually the sort that lead us down the path to mediocrity, the path to an average, unremarkable sort of life where the center of your conversation is all about “Call the Midwife,” with nary a mention about the Lord. So, the next time you’re with a group of followers of Jesus, and the discussion is devoid of any mention of your Savior, speak up. Turn things around with a friendly word. Redirect the conversation. Call your friends back from a careless path. You’ll be doing them a favor and pushing them toward Jesus. Because when it comes to that judgment day, oh my goodness, he is the only one you will be able to appeal to. And that is no careless word.
© Joni and Friends