What you say

Every day we face tough situations in which we are compelled to say something. Often we end up saying things we did not want to say or did not mean for it to come out like it did. Many times, after we have said what we have said we begin to regret and wish we could have stopped ourselves but we didn't or couldn't.


When we are going through a tough situation we need to watch out what we say. As Christians we face difficult situations all the time, sometimes things don't go the way we expected it to and we end up frustrated or even angry with God.


As a Christian, a Spirit filled child of God, how do we react when we are faced with a situation in which we see the ungodly prosper? How do we feel when we obey the Word of God but still remain in problems?


The Psalmist in Psalm 73 was going through a huge problem. He was obviously not too pleased to see the wicked prosper and the godly suffer.


Psalm 73:1 A Psalm of Asaph. Truly God is good to Israel, to the pure of heart.
:2 And I, my foot had almost stumbled; my steps had nearly slipped.
:3 For I was jealous of the proud, when I saw the peace of the wicked.



Paul writing to the Colossians exhorts them to speak with grace,

Colossians 4:6 Let your speech be always with grace, having been seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.


Speaking with grace is something every one of us has to learn to do. As Christians we are required to know how to speak. The Word of God calls us 'Priests', and as priests we have a great responsibility to speak the right words when & where needed.

Let's take a look at what God is saying through Malachi,

Malachi 2:1 And now, O priests, this command is for you.
:2 If you will not hear, and if you will not set it on your heart to give glory to My name, says Jehovah of Hosts, then I will send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings. And indeed I have cursed it, because you do not set it on your heart.
:3 Behold, I am rebuking your seed; and I will spread dung upon your faces, even the dung of your appointed feasts. And one shall lift you up to it.
:4 And you shall know that I have sent this command to you, to be My covenant with Levi, says Jehovah of Hosts.
:5 My covenant with him was life and peace, and I gave them to him for fear; and he feared Me, and he is awed before My name.
:6 The Law of Truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips. He walked with Me in peace and uprightness, and turned away many from iniquity.
:7 For the priest's lips should guard knowledge, and they should seek the Law at his mouth; for he is the messenger of Jehovah of Hosts.
:8 But you have turned out of the way; you have caused many to stumble at the law. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi, says Jehovah of Hosts.


Let's look at a few things:

1. We are Priests (1Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood ...)

2. The Priest's lips should guard knowledge, now in my understanding it means that I should not talk rubbish (to put it plainly)

3. People can stumble or stand at what we say.

Let's go back to Psalm 73 and look at verse 15, "If I say, I will speak thus; behold, I would deceive a generation of Your sons."

The psalmist was saying that if he spoke what was in his heart based on the situation he was facing then it would discourage many of the children of God. He would rather keep quiet than speak out and cause his brethren to fall.

I sincerely think we need to stop and take a close look at what the psalmist said. If I spread my doubts then I will harm my brethren. How many times do we take care to see what we speak in front of other saints of God? What we say can either be a blessing or a stumbling block to them. So then I need to take care of what I speak and do in front of other saints of God in order not to offend any.

Romans 14:13 Then let us not judge one another anymore, but rather judge this, not to put a stumbling-block or an offense toward his brother.


We are called to be ONE body; if one suffers all will suffer, if one rejoices all rejoice.

By what I say I can either build up a brother or bury him. The psalmist faced a problem, he saw the ungodly prosper and the godly remain in his problem, he wanted to speak out but he decided to remain silent and continue to declare the goodness & faithfulness of God.

The next time you are faced with a similar situation, don't go on and rant & rave about how good you are and how evil the world has become. Just keep quiet and if ever you feel the need to say anything, speak out the goodness, mercy & faithfulness of God.

Say nothing unless you are certain it will be helpful to someone.

Be Blessed in Christ Jesus.

Jesus Christ is LORD!



Karl Walker