Break Free from Idle Words and Listen to God's Counsel

Introduction

You talk a lot, often without thinking about it. And yet, Jesus says it with striking gravity in Matthew 12:36-37: "I tell you that every idle word that men speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."

Stéphane Burgos invites you to realize that your words are a seed. They can build up or tear down, bless or curse. James compares the tongue to a small fire that sets a great forest ablaze. The enemy uses this to discourage you, and sometimes even advice from fellow Christians isn't inspired: Peter loved Jesus, he had confessed him as the Christ, and yet he rebuked the Lord to turn him away from the cross. The same mouth can bring forth inspired words and fleshly words.

How do you sort it out? Through spiritual discernment, in fellowship with God, in the light of his Word, and in the peace of prayer. And practically, by spotting the idle words you speak all day long, so you can replace them with God's counsel. Here are four idle words to break, and the wisdom from above to put in their place.

Sermon Outline

1. "I'll never make it": step out of the logic of the ten spies

In Numbers 13:30-33, Caleb calms the people down and declares: "Let's go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it." That's an inspired word, aligned with God's promise. But ten of the spies answer: "We aren't able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we."

They were right on the facts. There really were fortified cities, giants, descendants of the Anakim. But they were wrong spiritually, because their words contradicted God's word. The real problem isn't the wall: it's the little "but" that comes and overturns a blessing already promised. "It's a good land flowing with milk and honey, but…"

Stéphane Burgos asks you the real question: is your difficulty a problem for God? The problem you're carrying looks insurmountable to you, but on God's side, it isn't. The ten saw themselves "like grasshoppers" in their own eyes (v. 33). A single grasshopper does nothing, but together they can strip an entire field bare. You too, together with the brothers and sisters of your church, united under grace, can do immense things for the Lord.

Jesus said it to a desperate father: "All things are possible to him who believes" (Mark 9:23). There are natural laws for everyday life, and there is the law of faith for the spiritual realm. The Shunammite woman, in 2 Kings 4:18-37, gives us a striking picture of this. Her son has just died on her lap, and when her husband asks her what's wrong, she answers: "It is well." It's not denial: it's a word planted in faith that opens the door to a miracle. Elisha came, and the child was raised to life.

The counsel of God to put in its place: "The situation looks stuck, but I believe that by God's grace, I'll make it."

2. "God doesn't heal anymore today": the lesson of Naaman

You often hear this idle word from the mouths of Christians themselves. But saying it puts out your own prayer: you light a fire and then pour water on it.

In 2 Kings 5, Naaman, a Syrian general with leprosy, expects special treatment. The prophet Elisha doesn't even come out of his house; he simply sends word: "Go and wash in the Jordan seven times." Naaman leaves furious. Stéphane Burgos points out four common errors of judgment among Christians:

• He thinks he's above others.
• He has a preconceived idea of how he should be healed.
• He looks down on the Jordan, a means he judges too humble.
• He walks away angry even though he's in the right place at the right time.

It's his servants who bring him back to obedience. He goes down into the water, humbles himself, and follows through to the end: only on the seventh time does the healing break through. There was no gradual improvement. Faith holds on until the very last plunge.

Don't say "never." Your life isn't in the hands of doctors, it's in the hands of God. He decides the time and the way. Look at what the Word says: "who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases" (Psalm 103:3). "By his wounds we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5). "They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover" (Mark 16:18).

The counsel of God to put in its place: "I believe God hasn't changed, that he still heals today; he will act in his time, and I trust him."

3. "I'm too shy to talk about God": the mouth God opens

Moses, called to go before Pharaoh, makes this excuse to God: "I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue" (Exodus 4:10). How many of us hide behind that same excuse? It's striking that the very mouth that talks easily about food, trips, and TV shows shuts down the moment it's about the Lord.

God answers Moses: "Who made man's mouth?… I will be with your mouth" (v. 11-12). That's God's promise: he himself puts the words in the mouths of his witnesses.

The enemy doesn't want you talking about God. He'll settle you into a sense of inadequacy and discourage you at every attempt. Do it anyway. Inside the church, we're gathered to praise; outside, we're sent out like sheep among wolves to bear witness. If you don't talk about Jesus to your spouse, your children, your coworkers, nobody will do it in your place.

The counsel of God to put in its place: "I will talk about God, because he will put the words in my mouth to make me effective."

4. "My family will never be saved": don't sign up for the enemy

After a prayer meeting, a sister once admitted to Stéphane Burgos: "I pray for my husband every day, but I know he'll never turn to Christ." Saying that destroys your own prayer. It's signing on to the devil's way of thinking.

Who would have believed that Saul of Tarsus, a persecutor of Christians, would be touched by Jesus on the road to Damascus? Even today, there are amazing testimonies of conversions that looked impossible: former violent men made gentle as lambs. God can touch the hardest hearts.

What does the Word say about your family? "As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD" (Joshua 24:15). "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household" (Acts 16:31). "For the promise is to you, and to your children, and to all who are far off" (Acts 2:39).

The counsel of God to put in its place: "I will keep praying for my spouse and my children, because I believe God is able to touch their hearts."

Key Takeaways

• Your words aren't neutral. Jesus says you'll give account for every idle word (Matthew 12:36).
• The same believer can speak both inspired words and fleshly words. It takes spiritual discernment to sort them out.
• The law of faith isn't the natural law: what looks impossible to man is possible with God.
• The most common idle words: "I'll never make it," "God doesn't heal anymore," "I'm too shy to talk about him," "my family will never be saved."
• Each one is contradicted by a clear promise in the Bible. Line up your speech with the Word, not with your fear.
• The root of speech is thought. Bring every thought captive to obey Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5), and the words will follow.
• When an idle word comes out of your mouth, counter it right away by speaking a word of God out loud.

Personal Application

Take a quiet moment before God and answer honestly:

1. What idle word do I repeat most often right now: about myself, my health, my witness, my family?
2. What specific Bible verse can I set against this idle word, so I can memorize it and speak it out loud when it comes back?
3. Am I living more in the logic of the ten spies or in that of Caleb and Joshua? Why?
4. Is there a healing, a miracle, a conversion I've given up praying for because I said "never"? Am I ready to start praying again, without telling God the how or the when?
5. Who is God asking me to open my mouth to this week and talk about Jesus, trusting his promise: "I will be with your mouth"?

Verses Cited

• Matthew 12:36-37 - "By your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."
• James 3:5-6 - The tongue, that small fire that sets a great forest ablaze.
• Numbers 13:30-33 - Caleb and the ten spies facing the promised land.
• Mark 9:23 - "All things are possible to him who believes."
• 2 Kings 4:18-37 - The Shunammite woman: "It is well."
• 2 Kings 5 - Naaman washed seven times in the Jordan.
• Psalm 103:3 - "He heals all your diseases."
• Isaiah 53:5 - "By his wounds we are healed."
• Mark 16:18 - Hands laid on the sick, the sick made well.
• Exodus 4:10-12 - "I will be with your mouth."
• Joshua 24:15 - "As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."
• Acts 16:31 - "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household."
• Acts 2:39 - "The promise is to you, and to your children."
• 2 Corinthians 10:5 - Every thought brought captive to the obedience of Christ.

FAQ

What is an "idle word" according to the Bible?

An idle word is one that has no connection to God's truth, a word that doesn't build up, that contradicts the Word, that gives ground to fear, doubt, or the enemy. Jesus says we'll give account for it on the day of judgment (Matthew 12:36). It isn't first a matter of coarse language, it's a matter of the heart and of faith: our words reveal our thoughts.

Is saying "I'll never make it" a sin?

The point isn't to pile on guilt, but to recognize that such a word isn't inspired. It aligns with fear, not with the promise. The remedy isn't to stay silent, it's to replace that word with a confession that reflects the Word: "By God's grace, I'll make it." You're not lying about the difficulty, you're confessing the power of your Savior.

How can I know if Christian advice I'm given is truly inspired?

Three filters: the Word of God (does the advice line up with the Bible?), prayer (do I sense God's peace or an inner unease?), and the spiritual discernment given by the Holy Spirit in fellowship with the Lord. Advice can be humanly wise, like Peter's word to Jesus about the cross, without being inspired. Take the time to discern before you obey.