She opens her mouth in skillful and godly Wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness [giving counsel and instruction].
—Proverbs 31:26
Regardless of our specific ministry within the body of Christ, each of us is a mouthpiece for God in some way. Whether you and I have been given a worldwide teaching gift or whether we have been given the ability to witness to our coworkers, God wants us to use our mouth for Him.
A wise man once said to me, “Joyce, God has given you the ear of many. Stay broken and only speak when spoken through.” Obviously this requires intensive training by the Holy Spirit. If we desire the words of our mouth to carry God’s power, then our mouth must belong to Him. Is your mouth God’s mouth? Have you really given it to Him for His purpose?
A person’s heart can become hardened as a result of making excuses for his behavior. For a long time, I excused my “mouth problems” by blaming them on my personality, or on abuse in my past, or on the fact that I felt bad or was so tired. Actually, the list of excuses we make for our failure to conform to the will and Word of God is endless.
Finally the Holy Spirit got my full attention so that I began to become accountable for my words. I still have a long way to go, but I feel I have made much progress because I have reached the stage of true repentance.
Those who desire to be used by God need to allow Him to deal with them concerning their mouth and what comes out of it.
