Let the words of my
mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer (Psalm 19:14, NKJV).
In addition
to polishing a couple of manuscripts that need to go in to the publishers
shortly, I’m focusing a lot right now on preparing for several speaking
engagements, including keynotes, teaching, panel discussions, TV and radio. I
enjoy all that, particularly the impromptu, spontaneous events that require few
if any notes, such as media interviews and panel discussions. But the keynotes
and teaching demand that I at least have a few notes jotted down about what I
will say and how I will say it.
All of
that’s important, I know. So much more important, however, is what I say and
how I say it in light of the Lord, who not only hears each word I speak but
knows the meditations of my heart as well. How I want both to be acceptable in
His sight! And how much more likely they will be if I am careful what I put
into my heart and mind, for the Scriptures are clear that whatever words we
speak come out of what we have stored in our hearts.
Knowing
that ultimately I speak for an audience of One, I must be much more careful of
what I choose to store up in my heart, for that will determine my meditations
as well as my words. No matter how much time I spend trying to perfect and
polish the words I speak to others, it is God alone who knows the purity of my
intent. We live in a world that bombards us with thoughts and words that demean
our faith walk with Christ; may we continually ask the Lord to strengthen us
and not allow those negative influences to enter our heart and taint our
meditations and words.
Yes! I encourage the girls I teach to communicate as if JESUS were your FRIEND on FACEBOOK. It's an easier way for them to grasp Psalm 139:23-24!
ReplyDeleteThank you Kathi! This is something I remind my kids of all the time and something that I myself need to remember. We do speak for an audience of One in all our meditations, our personal interactions, both public and private, and in our professional lives whatever our vocation. Thank you for helping us remember that and to guard ourselves so that we don't bring shame on Him.
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