Why Did God Give Me a Mouth: Wednesday in the Word

“Why did God give me a mouth?”

My son had just gotten in trouble. As usual, lack of control of that one little part of his body landed him in time out. Whether it was needing to have the last word, being a smart-mouth, or being mean to his siblings, if he was in trouble, it was his mouth that landed him there.

But in that moment, my heart broke for him. It’s so hard to guard our tongues, even as adults. For a little boy who felt like he got in trouble every time he opened his mouth, controlling his tongue had to seem as difficult a task as Frodo getting the ring to Mordor, maybe even more so.

The last thing I wanted was for my sweet, caring little boy to think there was something wrong with him, to despise what God intended as a precious gift. And as a Christian parent, I did believe it was a gift. I still do.

God needs those who will speak up in tough times. Think about Nathan. How easy would it have been for one of us to respond to God’s call to confront David with, “But David is the king. The KING. I can’t say that to him.” God needs the Nathans, Elijahs, and Pauls of this world. He desires those who can stand up for the truth in ways that don’t compromise God’s standards but still show His love, mercy, and grace.

Too many throw out truth like a spear, plunging it through the hearts of those standing in opposition to it. Or they don’t stand for truth at all, except in the recesses of their hearts. They never let the truth they know flow from their lips to the world in desperate need.

That night I shared with my son that God gave him a mouth so that one day, he could share God with others. God created my son perfectly for the purpose He has for him. My prayer for my son was that one day he would walk in that purpose and live the answer to his question. That’s still my prayer for him.

Why did God give me a mouth? Why did He give each of us one?

For building others up – Ephesians 4:29

To add sweetness to the soul and health to the body – Proverbs 16:24

To show what is in our hearts – Matthew 12:34 and Luke 6:24

For confessing our sins and find cleansing – 1 John 1:9

To show wisdom and bring healing – Proverbs 12:18

To acknowledge God and give Him praise – Hebrews 13:15

For declaring God’s praise – Psalm 51:15

To seek help through prayer and offer praise to God – James 5:13

So I can continually pray on behalf of other believers – Ephesians 6:18

To spread the word of God to others – 1 Thessalonians 2:13

For teaching and building up the body – Romans 12:6-8

To rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep – Romans 12:15

And finally, what should every word coming from our mouths be like?

Seasoned with God’s grace – Colossians 4:6

Like my son, I sometimes have difficulty with this concept. I say the wrong thing. Impatience flows from my lips more often than I care to admit. I hurt someone because what came in my mind slips from my mouth before I think to stop myself. But when I’m tempted to question,” God why did you give me a mouth?”, I can turn to these verses. In them I find forgiveness. There’s grace and mercy and healing. I find new direction for my words, one that brings sweetness to the lives of others even as I stand firm in the truth of God.

Have you ever questioned why God gave you a mouth? Do any of these verses speak to your heart above the others?