As political candidates scramble to make high-profile statements while glossing over controversial ones, the power of words is evident.  Even with the aid of press secretaries and speechwriters, politicians have a hard time keeping their words in check. Like Hillary and her gaffe about Bosnia and John McCain and his statement about staying in Iraq for one hundred years, most people have some memorable words they wish they could hit “undo” to delete them from history. Recently the Chicago Tribune brought attention to ESPN’s Chris Berman, who apparently spewed a profanity laced tirade at people who were distracting him between broadcast segments. Someone mysteriously published the off-air video clip on YouTube “so the public could see Berman for what he is.” After a public outcry, ESPN responded that Chris “should not be judged by a few minutes of unguarded language,” but the damage to his image was irreparable.

It is interesting to note that even secular society recognizes that words do matter. We hate to admit that a few minutes of unguarded language could affect our credibility or our reputation, but it’s true. Words are not spoken in a vacuum, but rather reveal the core nature of the one who speaks them. A teacher once told me that when a bottle is squeezed tightly, whatever is in the bottle will come out. If it is a bottle of ketchup, ketchup will come out. If it is mustard, mustard will erupt. The pressure does not determine the contents; it only forces them out. Matthew 15:18 and 19 say, “But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.” When a mother takes a child’s temperature, she would never be so foolish as to blame the problem on the thermometer or even on the external heat radiating from the child. These are merely indicators of an internal problem. Likewise, unpremeditated words during times of stress are often the most accurate indicator of true spiritual health. A practiced Christian might be able to stifle ungodly responses in the church lobby. But when that same person is put under the pressure cooker of daily living, hidden evils of the heart surface and spew forth from the mouth.

Throughout the Old and New Testaments, the Bible speaks volumes about the potency of words. We are encouraged to have “sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you” (Titus 2:8).  Since we often speak twice as many words as men in a day, women must be extremely vigilant in the area of speech. Proverbs 10:19 cautions, “In the multitude of words sin is not lacking.” Although we are not running for office or negotiating a TV contract, our fiercest opponent, Satan, seeks to use our verbal mistakes to slander the name of the One Who saved and changed us.

For that reason, we must listen carefully to our own words to detect the condition of our hearts. Then we must let God do a thorough spring-cleaning of the sins that lurk in the corners of our minds and hearts. No delete button will erase spoken words, but God promises that “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” When we allow God to sweep out the sin hidden in our hearts, and when we give the Spirit full control, it will soon become obvious to those closest to us. The next time you are unexpectedly squeezed during the daily routine of life, wouldn’t it be nice if you found His fruits spilling out of your mouth—words of love, joy, and peace that not only edify those who hear, but also bring glory to God.