Babbling… I fear I’ve done a lot of babbling. I wonder how much harm and hurt I have done with some of them. I wonder if I’ve been in social settings so long that I don’t even notice….
Paul said to shun them. He said they would only increase to more ungodliness. (2Tim. 2:16) Matthew Henry says in his commentary on this passage that error is very productive. Is that not a horrifying thought?! Error…produces itself. And he goes on to say that error can overthrow faith. God forbid.
The NIV calls it ‘godless chatter’ and tells us to avoid it. (vs. 16) The Message always drives home the point in street language… ‘ Stay clear of pious talk….words are not mere words, you know. If they are not backed by a godly life, they accumulate as poison in the soul.’ I sure don’t need any poison injected into my soul, especially by my own mouth!
So my babblings are some pretty serious stuff. I determine to examine the words I speak…and the words I write…and ask God to reveal to me how HE sees it. I can justify my words I’m sure…we all can project the guilt onto someone else, justify our actions and words because of someone else’s WORSE actions and words.
Who gets to decide that? Not me. And not you. It is God who determines, and he sees my heart. And yours.
Let’s make a deal…tomorrow, I’m going to begin to monitor my babblings and see if there is any godless chatter going on. With ME. I am sure the devil will point out a LOT of it coming from someone else’s mouth. But I’m asking God to reveal to me what I am blinded to in myself. For if it is there…it needs to go.
This may hurt.
