Be careful little mouth what you say is a line from an old Sunday school song. Truer and wiser words are hard to find. Unfortunately, I have never been an expert at regulating what I say. Probably like many, I have not yet learned the profoundness of silence. But, I want to. I recognize I need to.
This discipline is not simply a speech issue though. This discipline is primarily a thinking issue. “A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart” (Luke 6:45 NLT). Now, I am not suggesting every time someone says something they shouldn’t that he or she is evil. I do not think that is what the scripture is suggesting either. I think what has happened is he or she has failed to regulate the mind and subsequently something less than honorable found an occasion to get out.
The Apostle Paul left us some clear governance for our thoughts in Philippians 4:8 and subsequently a very effective means of regulating our speech. The New Living Translation records it this way; “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” Regulating our speech begins with regulating our thoughts accordingly and, if I am not thinking truthfully, purely, and lovingly, I probably should not be talking.
Easier said than done of course! Isn’t everything about living for God? But we can and we should. Now, let me go on record at this time and say I am sorry if my mouth has every run away from me at your expense. I really want to be the perfect man who “offends not in word” (James 3:2 KJV). The older and hopefully wiser I get, the more I come to regret my careless, misguided words. I share the sentiments of the Psalmist; “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer” (Psalms 19:14 KJV). I could even go along with the old adage: let my words be soft and sweet today because tomorrow I may have to eat them.
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I have learned that I should listen twice as much as I speak. However, I sometimes tend to talk too much and not listen enough.
ReplyDeleteIn the attitude of silence the soul finds the path in an clearer light, and what is elusive and deceptive resolves itself into crystal clearness. Our life is a long and arduous quest after Truth. ~Mahatma Gandhi
ReplyDeleteExcellent post Mom. Thanks for sharing. I'm putting it on Facebook if you don't mind.
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