Each morning I ask the Lord what He wants me to talk about in my blog. I have so many thoughts and so many notes I have taken in the past years from my favorite books and from my all time favorite, The Holy Bible!
Yesterday I talked about relationships. Today I want to discuss how we impact others with our words. We breathe life or death upon our children, spouses, other family members, friends and every other life we touch in a single day through our words. Proverbs 15:4 says: A Godly tongue gives life but a perverted tongue crushes the spirit. It is astounding how many verses in the Bible relate to our mouth: anger, gossip, slander, a runaway mouth, whining and complaining, nagging, wisdom and foolishness, making a promise and not keeping it, idle lips, lack of respect, cursing God or others, telling lies, superior attitudes, bragging, impatient words, bitter resentments, words of judgement and criticism, exasperating our children, course joking, using God's name in vain...The list goes on forever! These are sinful ways we can use our words. The Bible says what comes out of our mouth is a reflection of what is in our heart. Wow, that is convicting!!!
What are all the Godly ways we can use our words: encouraging another, to mourn or celebrate with someone else, praying for someone, speaking the truth in love, affirming another's worth, blessing someone who is having a bad day or telling someone they are loved, giving someone hope or leading someone to Jesus... How we use our words is a personal choice, but not one to be taken lightly.
Another way to use your words wisely is to avoid saying something negative about a person to another. Did your mom ever tell you, "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all"? We are all guilty of sharing an offense that someone committed against us to another, if even just a stranger. I know, I am guilty as charged!!!! You are too, just admit it! It happens EVERY day; a driver cuts us off, a child shows disrespect, a spouse hurts our feelings, a parent disappoints, a friend forgets about us or leaves us out from an invitation to an event or hasn't called us, a teacher or coach treats our child unfairly.
What can I do when I am tempted to open my lips and say something bad about someone? First, bite my tongue, pray in my heart and say nothing. Second, find one good thing that I admire about that person and keep that thought. Speaking negatively; poisons my heart, hurts the other person's reputation or name, is a bad example to others who may not know Jesus and is a bad example to others who look to me as a role model and can be a sin. Finally, it must make Jesus very sad and disappointed to watch one of his creations being disrespected, even though at times we feel justified in "airing our frustrations." "Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good and necessary to build up others, that it may grant grace to those who hear....Speak no evil of any one. Titus 3:2
Try avoid creating conflict, be a peacemaker instead of creating divisions. Think before you speak, often if the words you speak hurt another person, they can forgive you but it is never erased from their memory, the damage has already been done. If a person tells you a story in confidence, they trusted you enough to tell you. Don't share it, let them tell their own story, even if it is a general piece of news like them buying a new car. "Their story is theirs alone unless they want it to be shared."
If gossip is swirling around you, change the subject, there is nothing good about a story being told. If that person is gossiping about someone else, chances are they will be gossiping about you too someday!
Be careful about the expectations you have of others, expectations only create disappointment, especially when they don't do something as you think they should. Learn to accept others for who they are not how you think they should be. God created all of us different for a reason! How boring the world would be if we were all the same. Grant grace freely to others, for we are all imperfect and can have a bad day! Think about the impact of what you are going to say to someone before it leaves your lips and if it is giving them life or is crushing their spirit.
The worst part of a sharing the truth with others is that the one who shares is the most accountable. Please grant me grace...I am still a work in progress!
Those who talk a lot are likely to sin. But those who control their tongue are wise. Prov. 10:19
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