Flourishing in Fruit – Our Words Are Our Fruit (Part 2)

    Jesus tells us plainly in Matthew 7:15-20 that a tree is known by its fruit, and in Matthew 12:33-37 He explains that our words are our fruit. Our words are drawn from the storehouse we each curate: our hearts, so we need to be vigilant concerning what we allow into our hearts/minds (read and consider Philippians 4:8).

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat of its fruit.” (Proverbs 18:22 NKJV)

    I would like you to take a look at the fruit in the lists below – some are from good storehouses, well-curated and full of the treasures of wisdom, knowledge, and righteousness (Colossians 2:2-3, Ephesians 5:17, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Hebrews 12:3-11) while the others are from storehouses that are neither guarded by their keepers nor guided by God’s good and perfect will; they are in desperate need of a thorough cleaning and a careful restock – as you read through these lists please take an honest look the fruit you have borne recently – have your words come from a storehouse that is full of God’s light or from one where the light is dimmed by dust and decay?

“I will guard my ways, lest I sin with my tongue…” (Psalm 39:1a NKJV)

 Our Words Are Our Fruit:

• True words (Ephesians 4:25, Philippians 4:8)
• Edifying and gracious words (Ephesians 4:29, Proverbs 16:24)
• Words seasoned with salt (Colossians 3:10)
• Gentle words (Proverbs 15:1, Philippians 4:5, Titus 3:2)
• Patient words (Proverbs 15:18, Colossians 1:9-11, James 1:19-20)
• Fitly spoken words (Proverbs 25:11)
• Wise words (Proverbs 4:1-27; 18:4, James 1:5; 3:13-17)
• Words that teach good things (Titus 2:3-5)
• Discreet words (Titus 2:3-5, 1 Peter 4:8)
• Humble words (Micah 6:8, Philippians 2:1-11, James 4:7-10
• Words that proclaiming God’s praises (1 Peter 2:9, Psalm 63:3-5, 104:33)
• Words that magnifying God and declaring His greatness (Psalm 34:1-3, Romans 15:4-6, Jude 25)
• Words of thanks and gratitude (2 Corinthians 9:15, Ephesians 1:3-14, 5:20, Colossians 3:17, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
• Words of warning (1 Thessalonians 5:14, James 5:19-20)
• Praying words (Matthew 5:44, Ephesians 6:18-19, James 5:13-18, 1 Peter 4:7)
• Singing words (James 5:13, Ephesians 5:19, Colossians 3:16)
• Words of comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3-4, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, 2 Thessalonians 2:15-17, Romans 15:4-6)
• Words spoken in the name of Lord Jesus (Colossians 3:17)
• Merciful words (Matthew 5:44, Luke 23:34, Acts 7:60, Ephesians 4:32, 6:14-15)
• Trusting words (Proverbs 3:5-6, Philippians 4:4-7, John 6:68)
• Trustworthy words (Proverbs 10:9, Matthew 5:37)

………..

• Grumbling and complaining words (Philippians 2:4, 1 Peter 4:9, Jude 16)
• Complaining words against government and authorities (Exodus 22:28, Titus 3:1-2, 1 Peter 2:17)
• Back-biting and deceitful words (Proverbs 25:23, Romans 1:28-32; 3:10-14)
• Words of gossip and slander (Proverbs 16:27-30, Ephesians 4:31, 1 Timothy 5:11-16)
• Great swelling words and flattering words (Psalm 12:1-4, Proverbs 20:19, 26:28, Romans 16:17-18, Jude 16)
• Cruel and reviling words (Psalm 64:3, Proverbs 15:1, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10)
• Lying (Proverbs 26:28, Colossians 3:9-10, Revelation 22:15)
• Idle words (Psalm 12:1-4, Matthew 12:36-37, 1 Timothy 5:11-16)
• Angry words and outbursts of wrath (Psalm 4:4-5, Ephesians 4:26; 31 Colossians 3:8)
• Cursing, swearing, and lewd words (Ephesians 4:17-24: 5:1-7, Colossians 3:8)
• Speaking God’s name flippantly and without thought (Exodus 20:7, Matthew 6:9)
• Sharing coarse and rude jokes (Ephesians 5:1-7)
• Proud words (Proverbs 6:16-19; 11:12, 16:5, Luke 14:11)
• Words of discord (Proverbs 6:12-19, James 4:1-2, Titus 3:9-11)  
• Envious words (Titus 3:3, James 3:14)

“He who would love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit. Let him turn from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers; but the face of the LORD is against those who do evil.” (1 Peter 3:10-12 and Psalm 34:12-16a NKJV)

    God’s peace is to rule in our hearts – our storehouses – (Colossians 3:15) and we are to love Him with our whole heart, our whole soul, and our whole mind (Matthew 22:37). Let’s take careful inventory of our storehouses and prayerfully replace the evil we may there with what is good (Romans 12:9, 21) so we can “continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name” (Hebrews 13:15)!

You can do it! So can I!!

Flourishing in Fruit: Our Words Are Our Fruit (Part 1)

    Over the past few weeks we have looked at how our conduct is our fruit:

• Fruit of repentance (Matthew 3:8) – making the changes that prove that we have turned our backs to ungodliness and worldly lusts (Titus 2:11-12, 2 Timothy 2:22) while clinging to what is good (Romans 12, John 14:6)
• Fruit of righteousness (Philippians 1:9-11, 2 Corinthians 9:9-11) – doing what is right in God’s sight, according to His commands and instructions (James 1:21-25, 1 John 3:7)
• Fruit of good works (Colossians 1:9-11) – doing good for others, generously sharing our blessings with them (Psalm 68:19, 2 Corinthians 9:7-8)

    Now, I would like you to consider another fruit we all produce: words, “the fruit of our lips” (Hebrews 13:15)

    We live in a world in which communication has become everything. While most communication devices were at one time tethered to a wall in our houses, technology has advanced to a point where we now carry these devices with us at all times – you may even be reading this post on your device. There was a time when we only had phone calls during the daylight hours, a time when we were content to wait for mailed letters to arrive, and a time when television stations shut off all programming after the 11 o’clock news, but now we have access to all sorts of communication on our devices twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, and when emails or texts are sent, instantaneous replies are now expected no matter the time of day or night.

    In Part 1 of this series I would like you to consider the fruit you bear online, because if you type it, it’s your fruit, and if you click ‘share,’ ‘like,’ or ‘love,’ you are endorsing it, and it becomes your fruit as well, as it is seen by others. Think about the things you look at and the things you post, like, and share, are they things that God would approve of? Are they befitting a Christian?

    Every person with access can now communicate to the world whatever is in their heart – and those words are not always good, yet they are still put on display and even promoted in the seemingly endless ‘fruit’ market of social media. What sort of fruit are you taking to this market? Are you trying your best to post (and share) things that will uplift others, and/or shine God’s light? Or are you using social media to share rude humour, complain, vent, or rant? We need to be mindful of the words we share!

“With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.” (James 3:9-10 NKJV)

    Christians are commanded to meditate on what is true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8), we are to purify ourselves (1 John 3:3) and keep ourselves pure (2 Timothy 2:19-21), and be holy in all our conduct (1 Peter 1:15-16) – this includes our time online. We need to be especially careful of what we allow into our minds and hearts as we scroll through posts and videos because what we allow to be communicated to us will, in turn, become what we communicate to others (consider 1 Corinthians 15:33, Psalm 1:1, Proverbs 26:22). Our words are our fruit and development of that fruit begins in our heart (Matthew 12:33-35) – we bear fruit as we communicate online.  

“A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak. They will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matthew 12:35-37 NKJV)

    What are you consuming in the world’s fruit market? Are you finding the fruit that is good and wholesome; fruit that will nourish your soul and give you a healthy storehouse from which you draw your words? Or are you grazing your way through the buffet of filthy fruit that will deteriorate your storehouse and cause you to form bad thoughts, words, and habits?

    Think on these things this week! Our words are important – God knows every single one of them – so, from this very day, determine to be even more mindful to use your time wisely (Ephesians 5:15-17) and be watchful of the words you ‘bear’ online!

You can do it! So can I!!