“I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak.” – Matthew 12:36
Followers of Jesus, this includes you! Yes, we know that at the end of the process we’ll be publicly declared “Not Guilty” by our advocate and judge Jesus. Yes, we know we’ll spend a glorious eternity in the presence of God. But we mustn’t thoughtlessly skip over this time of accountability. We will all give public account for everything ugly, unfortunate, and ungodly we’ve exclaimed in traffic, muttered under our breath, or idly thrown out in the office, the locker room, or the school hallway.
The grace we receive through faith in Christ will certainly save us. However, as we give account of our sins and shortcomings as well as our good deeds done in the name of Christ, our heavenly rewards will be determined by all we’ve done. For all who are in Christ, our joy will be full and complete, have no fear of that. Nonetheless there are rewards and responsibilities we may well miss out on in heaven because of our careless and venomous tongues.
If you’re a follower of Christ, then you need to sound like a follower of Christ and speak words worthy of Christ all the time. On good days and bad days, when you’re rested and when you’re exhausted, when things are going well and when disaster strikes. Is this difficult in an age where sarcasm and vitriol are the currency of our culture? Absolutely! Is ungodly speech a difficult habit to break? Absolutely! But you can do it, day by day, through the transforming power of the Holy Spirit as we walk in prayer, worship, and the Word. It’s worth it!