What's in your mouth?

My 14 month old is usually really good at keeping things out of his mouth these days. Even really tempting little bits, like coins and small parts of toys find their way to my hand as soon as he picks them up. "Good job, buddy! You're right, these are not food," He beams at the praise and scampers away. Every now and then, though, I'll see him next to the couch, or under the highchair and I know he's eating something. "What's in your mouth?" I ask, and he'll hide his face, or run from me. Normally, it's a week old goldfish cracker or something from last night's dinner that got pushed off his tray that I didn't see when we cleaned up; something he knows is entirely edible, and he will fight me to eat it. Usually risking being bitten or kicked, I have to hold him facing the floor, squeeze his cheeks and scoop out his mouth. "Blech! We don't eat off the floor. This is yucky," I'll tell him, and even though he'll cry, I know it's better than letting him eat the old and likely gross stuff he finds.

A little over a year ago, I wrote about my big guy doing this as he'd just turned 2, and how instead of asking us for what he wanted, he'd settle for Crumbs, and if you wanted to explore how that relates to Jesus and his offer of abundant life, you can read that here. The difference in the kids is when I offered my big guy good food, he'd lose interest in the crumbs, but my little guy will fight to keep what he has. I don't know if he sees equal value in what he finds and what I offer or if he just has a sense of "This is mine," but he doesn't give it up willingly or easily and once I get something in my mouth, neither do I.

Some of what's in my mouth, the words that linger on my lips, is absolute garbage. Leftover phrases from darker days in my life that even said in exasperation, are awful. I think we all have those habitual sayings and autopilot phrases that we respond to the world around us with. Whether it be a resigned, "That's life," an angry, "I don't need anybody," or a controlling, "I have to figure this out," our words dictate not only the lens for how we see our reality, but also how we will engage with our circumstances and the extent we let the Father interact as well.

Joyce Meyer says, "The words that come out of our mouth go into our own ears as well as other people’s, and then they drop down into our soul where they give us either joy or sadness, peace or upset, depending on the types of words we have spoken." (Words and Your Life) This conclusion is directly drawn from Proverbs 18:21, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat it's fruits."

Now I want to make clear, this is not the same as the power of positive thinking, or a name it and claim it theology. This is a recognition that "our words are containers for power, and can carry our faith to the Kingdom of God where angels are released to help us or carry our fear to the Kingdom of darkness and release more trouble in our lives." (Joyce Meyer, The Power of Words.)

In the context of being a parent, I get the power of words, and how a child can be empowered or absolutely decimated with them; the principal of creating life or death in their heart and the effect that will have on their world and yet I don't apply the same to myself. Things I purposely don't say to my sons I will tear myself down with all day, and instances I would tell them to be courageous in, I guard my fear like it's some beloved pet. I would hope to teach them that it's ok to not be in control of every aspect of life all the time, but I am someone who will (ridiculously) position myself in every facet of a situation for the sake of my own sense of security.  Often, by guarding and excusing my faithless, destructive language, I find my circumstances riddled with heartache and trouble I spoke into existence, while my hope sits somewhere buried in the recesses of my heart, and the Father's hand is no where to be found

I want my son's mouth to be full of good things because then I know his body will be properly nourished. When doubt, anger, anxiety, etc spill from our lips, it's a sample of what our soul is fed, as Jesus said from the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks (Luke 6:45.) The Father desires to give good gifts to His children, and act on our behalf, showing His glory and mercy in our lives, but  we can't receive that which will sustain our souls if our mouths are already full. 

What is the Father asking you to spit out today? What is the hard, medicinal, thing He's trying to put in your mouth, which might not initially feel right, but you know is good? What healing do you need that will remove the barbs of a once outer voice that became an inner voice? Let me know in the comments or shoot me a message on how I can pray for you. Our Father is good, and wants our language to create and reflect a full, flourishing, abundant life for you.