Be Careful Little Mouth What You Say

     As I contemplate writing this article, I know that the words I offer need the guiding power of the Holy Spirit to make this message relevant and truthful.  Thoughts of this topic began to swirl in my head this morning as I was reading the 26^th chapter of Job.  These words found in Scripture gave birth to the words I hope to share with you today.  In this passage Job is responding to his friends, not the first time, but one of many, after getting much advice.  In his frustration with their opinions he says, “How you have helped him who has no power! How you have saved the arm that has no strength! How you have counseled him who has no wisdom, and plentifully declared sound knowledge! With whose help have you uttered words, and whose breath has come out from you?” Job 26:2–4 (ESV) On my first pass through this Scripture, I misread the sentences beginning with the word “how” seeing them as questions.  However, reading through a second and third time, I discovered that they were not questions, but declarations.  Job was berating his friends for giving him ‘ungodly advice’ outside the foundation of his belief of who God is. 

We live in a world of talking heads, just as Job did in his day.  Everyone was willing to offer their opinion, but who was speaking life into Job?  If you are familiar with the book of Job, it is not just a book of unfortunate circumstances.  Within the pages of this book, we see guidance and wisdom from above.  I found this utterly profound statement the first time I read this passage, but it continues to speak to me now.  “With whose help have you uttered words, and whose breath has come out from you?” (verse 4) Can we see the validity of this question?  How might we consider its wisdom each time we plan to offer advice to another? 

     Several weeks ago I studied a passage found in Job chapter 4.  In this passage we find evidence of whose breath came out of Eliphaz’s mouth.  In Job 4:12-16 ESV, we read, “Now a word was brought to me stealthily; my ear received the whisper of it.   Amid thoughts from visions of the night, when deep sleep falls on men, dread came upon me and trembling, which made all my bones shake.  A spirit glided past my face; the hair of my flesh stood up.  It stood still, but I could not discern its appearance. A form was before my eyes; there was silence, then I heard a voice.” I have underlined phrases and words for emphasis, a pretty creepy rendition of a spooky Halloween story.  How many red flags does one have to see that this was not a voice worthy to repeat?  Yet it was the voice that Eliphaz offered to his friend Job.  It was advice from this very creepy encounter.  As evident as this passage reveals, we know that Satan uses deception as one of his primary tack tics to fool us.  Observed on the pages of Scripture one can see clearly what is much harder to detect within ourselves.  After all, we believe we are righteous most of the time.

     It might be easier to read the account of Jobs’ life in reverse.  By reading chapter 42 and backtracking to chapter one.  That is the beauty of having Scriptures to guide us.  We know how the story turns out.  It is as though we are looking at an accident or an illness in a rearview mirror.  How much deeper and richer is our understanding that suffering is not always the consequence of sin?  God also uses suffering to refine us.  Job shares a very relatable story.  Who among us has never suffered and not understood the reason why?  Scripture teaches us the lessons we need in layers.  It is not possible to understand fully such a complicated story on only one pass.  Just like it is not possible to comprehend advanced calculus when we’ve only had exposure to algebra.  When we know where God is taking Job in this story, it is possible to read the account again with a different set of eyes.  We don't see God granting permission to Satan as cruel, when we understand through this story that linking sin and suffering isn't always a reliable conclusion.  
Now understanding from later chapters in Job, God did not find favor the advice Job received from his friends.  How can knowing this allow one to read the book of Job differently?  Can we discover what deceitful messages sound like?  Can it help our ears discern truth from lies?  God knew that we would face many false teachers.  Can we view from an outside perspective what judgmental behavior looks like?  As we observe these critical spirits of judgement it should become increasingly easier to see how unflattering this behavior actually appears.  From this vantage point (an outside perspective), it allows us to view judgement without shame, but as a life lesson.  None of us can say without lying lips, "I would never do that," but we can say, "I never want to do that again."

Just like Jobs’ friends, we might believe our advice is rich in righteousness, but in hindsight there is value in discovering how we too can be instruments in the hands of Satan.  If Job’s friends had been the sort of people that would have brought great value to him, one might need to question why they had not been destroyed along with Job’s family, house, wealth, and health.  Satan did not destroy these friends, nor Job’s wife because he knew that he could use them to inflict far more harm through their lips.  It was part of Satan’s’ persecution of Job. 

What created my desire to write this article this morning is that I felt it was a valid question to ask myself, how can my breath be used by Satan to harm others?  How often have I offered advice out of my own opinion when a friend is suffering?  When I speak words into another persons’ life, am I offering gospel truth, or are my messages controlled by a desire to be their personal wisdom assistant?  If I am not searching Scriptures to provide godly advice, how easy can my breath be used to spew shallow philosophies that the world has spoken into my ears?  We hear the voice of the world far more than we realize. 

As I searched for a particular passage whispered in my ear found in the 2^nd chapter of 2 Timothy, I found my attention diverted to this supportive message where the apostle Paul was introducing his apprentice Timothy to church leaders in Philippi, one of Paul’s church plants.  He said, “I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you.  For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare.  For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.  But you know Timothy’s proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel.  I hope therefore to send him just as soon as I see how it will go with me, and I trust in the Lord that shortly I myself will come also.” (Philippians 2:19–24 ESV)  In other words, Paul was saying that he had complete faith that Timothy would not mislead the church with shallow words.  He had a firm foundation on the gospels and would provide valuable support with his words.  If someone were to introduce you, would your referral carry such rave reviews?  Words such as these can help us evaluate whether we are pursuing the same goal as the apostle Paul.  Would our words be found worthy?  Do we speak the truth in building one another up in the Lord, or do we deceiving ourselves with the delusion of the value of our own wisdom? 

In the second chapter of 2 Timothy, we can see another reason why it is critically important that we allow the Holy Spirit to guide our path through Scriptures daily.  We read, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.  But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene.”  (2 Timothy 2:15–17a ESV) Why should we meditate and study Scriptures?  Is it solely to show ourselves wise in the Word?  Or can we be priming our hearts to be instruments of grace in the hands of God to help one another?  If we treasure Gods' Word and put it into our hearts, what flows from our lips will be much more pleasing to God.

    In Luke’s account of Jesus’ teaching we read this passage, “For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” Luke 6:43–45 (ESV)   If only Job’s friends had had these words from Luke to guide them.  My take away from this Bible reading shows me that I need to strive to know Gods’ Word and allow it to be what passes through my lips.  My opinion is worthless in value (consider it babble in the hands of Satan) if not tempered through Scriptures.  Can you remember the words to the familiar children’s song, “Be Careful Little Words What You Say,” then next time you are inclined to offer advice?

After writing this article, I found this insightful sermon from 2011, which provides a much deeper understanding of what I’ve shared in these few paragraphs.  Click on this link to watch this 40-minute sermon or bookmark it to come back when time permits.  https://vimeo.com/31252652