Twisted Words - That's Not What I Said!

Anita Delene Manthe
May 5, 2017
3 min read

‘The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks’ (Luke 6:45), is a convicting statement. At times, I am sure, many of us would insist this is not true. We’d like this to not be true of who and what we are. We don’t like to be categorized by our statements. We don’t want others to know what we really think about them, and what our true opinions are. However, there is no hiding – our words define our reality, what we think about situations, and people. To add to our personal struggles in how our words define us, we can experience a greater trial when what we have said is distorted by others. They twist our words for their own purposes. The result of this can be severed relationships – and divisions!

None of us like the separations which come when words have been skewed. Are you guilty of this? Have you distorted another’s words for your own personal gain so that you can achieve something, and be seen differently? Possibly you have. If so, do not be deceived. Time will reveal truth – it always does. Time is not limited to your life, my life, or another’s life – it is eternal. Time will reveal truth. It always does.

If your words have been distorted and then used against you, what can you do to defend yourself? Should you defend yourself? Possibly not. Consider responding in another way – one that will not give room to further distortion of your words or your actions. Twisted words do not define you, only the Truths of Scripture do. Perhaps, it is time to learn to guard your mouth with Truth. Start with treasuring Truths within your heart. Do not speak hastily, nor avoid direct responses when called on to speak the Truth. Honor the Lord with your words through focusing your heart on Him. Speak of the Lord, speak His truths, and exhort others to live in obedience and faithfulness.

Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips (Psalm 141:3).
A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly. The eyes of the LORD are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good. A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit (Psalm 15:1-4).
Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him (Proverbs 30:5).
Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few (Ecclesiastes 5:2).
Let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good (1 Peter 4:19).
I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. Blessed are you, O LORD; teach me your statutes! With my lips I declare all the rules of your mouth (Psalm 119:11-13).