Having integrity includes how we use our words. If we wouldn’t say something if a parent, friend, or Jesus Himself was standing next to us, then we probably shouldn’t be saying it at all. God’s always with us and He knows every word we’ve ever said. He even knows the words we don’t say – the ones we only think. Jesus declared: ‘What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs’ (Luke 12:3 NIV). He knows everything about us, and we’ve undoubtedly said or thought at least a few words that we regret, and that we’d hate to have brought into the light where everyone would know about them. Psalm 139 says, ‘before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely’ (v.4 NIV). The word ‘completely’ suggests that He doesn’t only know the words we’re about to speak, but the real meaning behind them, the motive with which we’re saying them, and their sincerity. The thought of God knowing everything about us can seem very daunting. It can feel like He’s keeping a list of all our mistakes and there’s nothing we can do about it. But that’s not the case at all. God shows us where we’re going wrong so we can change it. And He knows we’re never going to be perfect, because we’re human. Instead of being disappointed in us when our words don’t match up to His standards, He’s there to inspire us to do it differently next time around, encouraging us to say and think godly words. ‘The lips of the godly speak helpful words’. Let’s aspire to that.

What Now?

In every conversation you have and everything you write today, imagine Jesus physically standing next to you. Notice if it changes the words you decide to use.