Usually when I'm not "minding my tongue" I'm speaking harshly to someone I love (yes, my children). This morning I found some Scripture with a beautiful image to inspire me to more self-control:
"A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit." Proverbs 15:4
Yesterday I practiced a less typical (for me) sin by making a cutting remark about someone who wasn't even present, which jump-started more remarks. Ugh! The thing about wrongful speech is that it can't be taken back--it's done. Yes, I can be sorry, and yes, I can be forgiven, but how much better to not say it in the first place!
The Bible has LOTS to say about this. Below are just a few verses I found that can be used for inspiration, warning, or reproof (for ourselves), depending on how well we've been behaving lately:
"He that would love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking guile." 1 Peter 3:10
"There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing." Proverbs 12:18
"The tongue of the wise dispenses knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly." Proverbs 15:2
"He who keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble." Proverbs 21:23
"Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit." Psalm 34:13
Such a great reminder; thank you :)
ReplyDeleteThere is an activity to do with children to teach the power of words.
You give each of them a tube of toothpaste and tell them to squeeze it all out...work as hard as they can to get it all out....then pause a few moments...and tell them, "Ok, now put it all back into the tube".
Obviously, they can't and thus begins the dialogue of how this is an analogy to our words once we say them.