2/21/2022 – What are you leaving behind - maybe not what you think

Here at Faith Investment Services, it is our goal to help people with their financial goals including preparing for leaving an inheritance for their loved ones. This is an important part of what we do, and we take helping people seriously. It is good to remember that finances are not the only thing we leave behind – there are many “gifts” that we give to those around us every day including the words that we speak and the messages that they hold.

We have the opportunity every day to influence others with our words – to leave behind a blessing to those around us because of what we have said. According to research, most adults speak at least 7,000 words per day – with some studies showing that number to be as high as 16,000 or even more. Whatever the number is, we seem to have a lot to say.

God’s Word also has a lot to say about our speech… We are commanded in Ephesians 4:29 to “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” Colossians 4:6 teaches us “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone” or put another way “When you talk, you should always be kind and pleasant so you will be able to answer everyone in the way you should.” Proverbs 25:11 reminds us what a gift our words can be - “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.” Psalm 34:13 encourages us to “Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit.” Proverbs 18:21 tells us that “Death and life are in the power of the tongue” and James 3:10 says “From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.”

On July 16, 2017, Revive Our Hearts shared this picture and the following quote from Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth on Facebook –

"Notice where this guard is posted. Not at the ear—to protect us from being hurt by words we might hear. Not at the heart—to shield us from the wounds that are sometimes caused by what others do. Rather, the Psalmist asked God to post a sentinel at his own mouth knowing that the greatest danger he faced was not what others might do to him, but rather what he might say that would harm others.

Our tongues can be dangerous weapons. Careless, harsh, or untimely words inflict pain on those who hear."

Our words are powerful for good or for bad. Therefore, what we say is so important that we need to take care what comes out of our mouths. Fortunately, we can ask the Lord for help with this - He wants to help us grow in lifegiving speech!

So, as we all consider what will be left behind for our beneficiaries someday, let’s also consider what “gifts” we are leaving every day to those around us. Let’s speak life and build others up in a culture that seems to thrive on doing the opposite. Let’s take seriously the opportunities we’re given to be encouragers and to leave good words that will echo in the lives of those who listen! May Psalm 19:14 be our goal and our prayer – “May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.” Amen