An upright or good person is one who is honorable and intrinsically good. One who walks, lives, and breathes integrity. He or she may stumble over what to say, the words falling out in strange order, but those words are still good.

An evil person is one who is wicked instead of honorable and intrinsically evil.

The scripture intimates that we have a storehouse within us that we constantly add to and draw from. If we have moved in crates and boxes and envelopes of ungodly, unhealthy, unholy things – thoughts, ideas, pictures – we have stored up evil and thus what we speak will be born of that evil.

If the crates, boxes, and envelopes we’ve moved in are filled with godly, healthy, holy things, we have stored up good and what comes from our mouths will be born of good.

Whether we are the speaker or the listener, we need to listen and be mindful of the storehouse from which the words are coming.

Believers, if we’re the speaker and condemnation, rumors, gossip, and lies pass our lips, we need to hush immediately, excuse ourselves and get alone with God. We need some internal cleanup done that only comes from confession (agreeing with God about that) and repentance (turning away from doing that).

If we’re the listener and hear the condemnation, rumors, gossip, and lies, we need to recognize where it is coming from. It’s not about us, it’s the indicator of a heart in need of healing that only God can give. That’s a great time to start praying for that person.

NOTE: If that person is abusive, don’t stay thinking you can fix them. The only solution is in God’s hands as He waits for that person to reach out to Him for it. It’s okay to pray for that person from afar. Really. It is.

Maybe we should listen to our words today so we can determine which type of storehouse they come from and make all necessary changes to become right with God to change the inventory from which we speak.

Coffee, Bible, Journal.