Day 2: How do you affect others?

Proverbs 11:9 NIV
With their mouths the godless destroy their neighbors, but through knowledge the righteous escape.

How much do you think about how your words affect others? Sometimes I think about it but only when I want to have an effect; only when I am being purposeful. So what happens the rest of the time?
Over and over the Word of God stresses how powerful words are. The Bible compares words spoken outloud to seeds. In the parable of the sower, the sower is scattering the Words of God, but when you aren't spreading the Word of God that doesn't mean you stop scattering seed. You just are scattering a different kind - weeds instead of flowers, thorns instead of crops. And if your seed takes root in someones heart, you could be planting the thorns - the lies - that take root and choke out the Word of God.

Proverbs 16:21, 23-24, 27 NIV
21 The wise in heart are called discerning,
and gracious words promote instruction.
23 The hearts of the wise make their mouths prudent,
and their lips promote instruction.
24 Gracious words are a honeycomb,
sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.
27 A scoundrel plots evil,
and on their lips it is like a scorching fire.
Proverbs 10:8, 10-11, 14, 19, 21, 31-32 NIV
8 The wise in heart accept commands,
but a chattering fool comes to ruin.
10 Whoever winks maliciously causes grief,
and a chattering fool comes to ruin.
11 The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,
but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
14 The wise store up knowledge,
but the mouth of a fool invites ruin.
19 Sin is not ended by multiplying words,
but the prudent hold their tongues.
21 The lips of the righteous nourish many,
but fools die for lack of sense.
31 From the mouth of the righteous comes the fruit of wisdom,
but a perverse tongue will be silenced.
32 The lips of the righteous know what finds favor,
but the mouth of the wicked only what is perverse.

Your words reflect the things you are focused on. Youself, God, others, money, sex, hating people, complaints, laziness, food, etc. Look at the jokes you make with your friends ... what do you joke about frequently or discuss the most? Is it as funny when you think about how that topic has filled your heart up the most? The Word says that from the overflow of the heart your mouth speaks. What are you overflowing with?
Then think about how you are potentially spewing the dredges of your heart on unsuspecting people and it affects them. It has the power to destroy them. If they know you are a christian and you mock people, say you dislike people, make ribald jokes, or complain about everything, what will they think of you? Where do you think non-christians have gathered the idea that christians are the most hypocritical people? I would bet that in their history a christian, a believer in Jesus Christ, had not stored up God's Word in his heart and so when he spoke and acted, he did not reflect our Living God.

When I am not conscious of my words and affect on people, I think I speak by lottery. In my heart, I know I have some good stored up, but I would guess that I have at least an equal measure of evil that hasn't been rooted out yet. So when I am not paying attention, I could be pulling out either type to scatter to those around me. I could pull out both at the same time, but as weeded choke out Good Seed, won't it be hard to separate the Good seed from the bad?
So I challenge you... Be aware today if what you say and think. What occupies the most of your thoughts will probably be what you are sharing with the world.