We all have a familiarity with this three word phrase – watch your mouth. Nine times out of 10, we heard it from someone admonishing us to be careful, not only with our words, but possibly with our tone as well. However, I want to explore the reason of our words.
Our words are powerful. Our words are spoken with expectation, either of confidence or concern. Our words are weighty and they bear fruit. The entire verse of Proverbs 18:21 reminds us of this. Sometimes we only look at the first half of the verse about death and life being in the power of the tongue. Understand the second half of the verse is also important, as fruit will always be evidence of what we say.
This was the experience of the centurion in Luke 7:1-10. We often zoom in on the fact that his faith rose when he told Jesus all He had to do was speak the word and his servant would be healed (verse 7). He recognized the power of Jesus’ words, having enacted the power of his own words, and Jesus spotlighted his faith (verses 8-9).
However, I want to run it back a verse. Before the centurion acknowledged the authority of Jesus’ words, he almost talked himself and his servant out of the healing that was needed. How so? Glad you asked.
Luke starts this chapter letting us know the centurion’s servant was dear to him. It is for this reason he sought the help of the Waymaker. He did not go about it alone and asked his Jewish friends to ask Jesus on his behalf. His friends spoke highly of him to Jesus. They informed Jesus that the centurion was deserving or worthy of the help. They spoke of how he loved the nation and even built a synagogue.
They were in full support of Jesus helping the centurion. Jesus apparently agreed to it because He followed the Jewish elders to the centurion’s house. Before Jesus could reach the home, the centurion sent more people to Jesus and this is where I want us to lean in. These friends told Jesus by way of the centurion that he was not worthy of Jesus entering his home.
Wait! You mean you let Jesus come all this way, based on the acclaim of your other friends, only to come this close to forfeiting the miracle because of you did not feel worthy? It’s one thing to not feel worthy. It’s another thing to say it. It’s even more when the people initially sent to Jesus on your behalf, speak of your worth, only for you to just about make their words of none effect.
If the centurion left his words at ‘I am not worthy,’ his servant would have missed out on life and healing all because the centurion kind of made it about him and therefore did not watch his mouth.
He is not alone. We have all had moments that caused us to speak a certain way about ourselves or others, influenced by what we think or feel. We don’t have to always speak those words. Sometimes such words are better left unspoken so that we keep from forfeiting the blessings, opportunities, grace, and more just on the other side of what we say. So, with love, I encourage you to watch your mouth.
Contact Rae Karim at rae.karim@gmail.com.
