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I love the old Andy Griffith Show. A gentler time...then.

In one of the first season episodes with the new regular star Elinor Donahue, Ellie, Andy, Opie, and Aunt Bee are enjoying a picnic out in the woods. Opie and Aunt Bee decide to go for a walk, while Ellie cleans up and Andy lies back on the blanket, covering himself with the local newspaper.

An article catches Ellie’s eye: those running for city council. Ellie wonders why there are no women running. She gets huffy trying to defend womanhood as Andy tells her she’s taking it too personal.

“That’s a silly attitude!” he tells her.

“Silly?” she retorts.

“Ooh...ooh...I didn’t mean to say that. No, I didn’t mean to say that a bit. It just slipped right out of my mouth. Here, give it right back to me. (pretends to put it back in his mouth) (slurp!) It’s back. And it had a ba-a-a-ad taste. A whole lot of times, we do things and say things even though deep down we know they’re just plain silly.”

Ellie glares at him.

“Ooh, did that bad tastin’ word slip out again?”

How often do we let those bad tastin’ words slip out of our mouths?

Sometimes, we speak negatively, spewing out empty, worthless words, like death, fear, doubt, unbelief, defeat, hate, depression, and discouragement when we should be speaking Life-giving words, like peace, faith, hope, love, encouragement, and blessings?

Jesus said, “On the day of judgment men will have to give account for every idle (inoperative, nonworking) word they speak…Your words now reflect your fate then: either you will be justified by them or you will be condemned.” (Matt. 12:36 Amp, Matt. 12:37 TLB)

Whew! That’s a lot to think about!

He also said, “Whatever is in the heart overflows into speech.” (Luke 6:45b TLB)

What overflows your heart into speech? Do you have to say, “Ooh...did I say that?”



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Yes...I...struggle...for...words!

They do not come easy for me.

Penning several monthly columns, devotionals for other sites, and my own blog posts is definitely very frustrating. With a couple of learning disabilities, I struggle to craft the right words, but I do it in obedience for, to this, the Lord has called me.

Besides writing, talking is made more difficult because the greedy fingers of fibromyalgia grab at my brain, snatching out words, even the simplest ones, and leaving behind gaps in my memory. Completing a sentence is sometimes impossible.

But do I wrestle to craft those words that will jump off the end of my tongue as much as I wrestle over my writing? Do I think before those words leap out? Usually...but sometimes, I don’t and I get into trouble.

Should I be concerned about finding the right words to say? Jesus says I should, “On the day of judgment men will have to give account for every idle (inoperative, nonworking) word they speak…Your words now reflect your fate then: either you will be justified by them or you will be condemned.” (Matt. 12:36 Amp, Matt. 12:37 TLB)

Wow! That is truly hard to comprehend, isn’t it? If we are required to answer for our speech, then we need to be cautious of what exits our mouths, for, as Jesus said, “Whatever is in the heart overflows into speech.” (Luke 6:45b TLB)

The English biblical commentator and Presbyterian minister Matthew Henry wrote, “The heart is the root, the language is the fruit.” We cannot have the sweet nectar of a fruitful, positive confession if the root system of our hearts maintains sour or rotten thoughts. A change in the root system will produce a change in the fruit of speech.

Consequently, “A man’s stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of his mouth…and with the consequence of his words he must be satisfied [whether good or evil].” (Prov. 18:20a NKJV, Prov. 18:20b Amp)

Solomon warns us, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.” (Prov. 4:23 Masoretic Text) Another version says, “Be careful what you think, because your thoughts run your life.” (Prov. 4:23 NCV) And will jump off the end of your tongue!

Some say, “I don’t see that my words matter that much.” Well, our words do matter. If our tongues speak from the abundance of our hearts, and if Jesus and Scripture say our words are critical, then, our words really have extraordinary power and effect, embodying life and death, just as Solomon said, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” (Prov. 18:21a NKJV)

The Message version puts it this way, “Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or fruit—you choose.” So, who in their right mind would choose death over life, poison over fruit? We do!

The words we speak can set our lives on fire for harm or for good. Our words can bring others to tears or lift their spirits. Our words can even change the atmosphere around us.

Therefore, Paul urges us, “Let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ.” (Phil. 1:27a KJV) This means we are to behave and speak as a citizen of the Kingdom and worthily reflect on the Gospel.

Knowing the consequences of his thoughts and words, David prayed, “Take control of what I say, O LORD, and guard my lips.” (Ps. 141:3 NLT) Therefore, “we take every thought captive and make it obey Christ.” (2 Cor. 10:5b GNT)

My prayer is this: Lord, in my word struggle, “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to You, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.” (Ps. 19:14 NLT)

What about you? Do you struggle to carefully craft those words, taking captive those thoughts, before they roll off the end of your tongue?



***A portion of the above is taken from my upcoming book Ready or Not...Here I Come!

Today's post is part of...

There once was a man who bought a lush piece of property with an old shack on it. He decided to renovate it and worked hard to fix it up, spending a lot of money in the process.

When he was almost finished, a windstorm came and blew most of it down. When the man thought he would rebuild it one more time, he sent for the inspector to check out the remains of the house.

The inspector said, “You should have called me to look at this before you wasted your time, effort, and money fixing up this old shack. I would have told you that it wasn’t worth the effort. You should have torn it down and started a new structure on a sure foundation. I wouldn’t try rebuilding this again.”

How well built is the dwelling place we give our Beloved Bridegroom? Is it built on Him, as our sure Rock-foundation? Does it come crashing down in a storm of affliction?

Paul said, “When someone becomes a Christian, he becomes a brand new person inside. He is not the same anymore. A new life has begun!” (2 Cor. 5:17 TLB) So, if the old dwelling place of our hearts is cleansed and created anew, do we keep it that way, or do we allow the winds of worry or the storms of strife to revert it back to the same ol’ rickety shack?

Here’s what I asked the Lord...

~Lord, my heart is Your home. Let’s build it together and keep it clean together.

* Clean out the closet of my hidden thoughts and throw away the trash of wrong attitudes.
* Dust behind the doors where preconceived ideas accumulate like cobwebs.
* Sweep out the corners of my heart where the soil of unwillingness piles up.
* Dig into those deep crevices of my soul where stubbornness plants its roots.
* Take down from the shelves of my mind all the negative thoughts I cling to and replace them with all Your promises that they may be readily available whenever I need them.
* Scrub down the walls littered with the graffiti of my words that have blemished Your Spirit and Your Word.
* Repair the cracks in the walls so that the enemy cannot ooze in with his unwanted ideas.
* Fix the holes in the roof where the rains of difficulties leak in and threaten to dampen my soul-rest.
* Seal up the broken windows where the winds of discontent blow in so easily.
* Clean out the soot of wrong burning desires that have blackened my chimney and allow the vapors of praise to rise heavenward.
* Rekindle the embers of my heart’s passion that have grown cold.
* Use my tears to mop the floor of my soul where it has been trampled upon with the muddy feet of those who would rather walk over me than to see the hurt and pain within me.
* Shine Your light into the dark cellar of my emotions so nothing can remain hidden from Your forgiveness.
* Help me erect that exterior that holds all else in place, as I use my obedience to cement Your bricks of truth in place. May I not leave them lying useless on the ground.
* Help me build on the one sure Foundation that is unshakable and can withstand all storms and disasters.

Lord, may my heart always be a temple in which You may reside and always feel proud to bring others to visit. May it be a monument to Your grace, Your forgiveness, and Your love.~~

What kind of home are you building for your precious Lord? Do you schedule regular maintenance projects? Do you allow the Master Craftsman to construct according to His divine plan?

“Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted.” (Ps. 127:1 NLT)

Lord, I hear You knocking. I’m coming.

Come on in. It’s cold out there. Make Yourself at home. Please come in and help me renovate my home for You.

Help me clean out the closet of my hidden thoughts and throw away the trash of wrong attitudes. Dust behind the doors where preconceived ideas accumulate like cobwebs.

Sweep out the corners of my heart where the soil of unwillingness has piled up. Dig into those deep crevices of my soul where stubbornness plants its roots. Shine Your light into the dark recesses of my emotions so nothing can remain hidden from Your forgiveness.

Remove from the shelves of my mind all the negative thoughts that I cling to and replace them all with Your promises that they may be readily available whenever I need them.

Scrub down the walls that have been littered with the graffiti of my words that are dirty blemishes on Your Spirit and Your Word. Repair the cracks in the walls so that the enemy cannot ooze in with his unwanted ideas.

When spiritual unrest jams up my usefulness as a channel, rout out all the garbage of self that Your living waters may run freely, cleansing…

Fix the holes in the roof where the rains of difficulties leak in and threaten to dampen my soul-rest. Seal up the broken windows where the winds of discontent blow in so easily. Let Your joy clean the windows and give them the sparkle that the world needs to see.

Clean out the soot of wrong burning desires that have blackened my chimney. Cleanse it that it may allow the vapors of praise to rise heavenward. Rekindle the embers of my heart’s passion that have grown cold. Ignite a blazing desire to know You more, to serve You more, and to love You more.

Use my tears to mop the floor of my soul where it has been trampled upon with the muddy feet of those who would rather walk over me than to see the hurt and pain within me.

Dismantle the fences that I have unwittingly built which have kept me from reaching out to help someone or kept some hurt soul from reaching in.

Help me build on that one sure Foundation that is unshakable and can withstand all storms and disasters. Help me erect that exterior that holds all else together, using my obedience as the cement to hold Your bricks of truth in place. Make sure I pick up and use each brick so that the edifice does not become faulty, because each truth left lying on the ground is useless.

There is but one chair within these walls, and it is the throne upon which I give You the honor of sitting. When I try to sit upon it myself, shove me off! Make me land with a jolt hard enough to bring me to my senses, because it is Your throne, meant only for You.

Lord, this is Your home. Let us build it together and keep it clean together. May it always be a temple in which You may reside and can always feel proud enough to bring others to visit. May it be a monument to Your grace, Your forgiveness, and Your love.

“Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it...”

Years ago, in another church, where we were members, our pastor told us about a very funny yet embarrassing experience that happened to him.

At his previous church, he tended to fiddle around with the volume on his lapel mic, so the sound crew set the volume and put a piece of tape over the knob to keep him from fooling with it. On dedication day of the new sanctuary, the preacher got “wired,” put on his special robe for the day, and headed out from the old building to the new one.

Only one thing…he forgot the mic was turned on!

As the members sat waiting in the new sanctuary, they heard voices over the PA system. They heard the preacher’s footsteps and his voice as he greeted others. The preacher’s wife, recognizing what was happening and realizing her husband’s routine, made a mad dash for the door to run interference. But she never made it and the preacher continued on with his routine. Entering the men’s restroom, he took care of his bodily function…and flushed!

When he finally entered the sanctuary, he was greeted by a congregation of smiling faces. He didn’t find out until later. Poor man!

As this memory made a recent visitation to my brain, and after giggling for a while, I started thinking about the repercussions of what would happen if we all were “wired” with a hot mic attached to us so everyone could hear our every word and footstep.

What would others hear? Who would suffer from our words we thought were said behind their backs? Would our children overhear us say things we wouldn’t say in front of them? Where would our footsteps take us that we wouldn’t want others to know?

Unfortunately, we speak with a double tongue. We say one thing to others and then walk in another direction. We can compare this to the word ‘antipodal,’ which means with opposite feet, diametrically opposed, opposite beliefs, exactly contrary, as if to “talk out of both sides of your mouth,” (Prov. 4:24 Msg) as Solomon said.

We don’t realize what we are doing. Job asked, “Is there wrong on my tongue? Cannot my taste discern what is destructive?” (Job 6:30 AMP) Apparently not. Talk and walk don’t match up!

Paul told Titus, “Your conversation should be so sensible and logical that anyone who wants to argue will be ashamed of himself because there won’t be anything to criticize in anything you say!” (Titus 2:8 TLB) Or the way…or where…you walk!

Is your conversation above reproach? Is your walk? What sounds would your hot mic pick up?

~~Blessings, Lynn~~