Oh Be Careful Little Mouth What You Say
Use your words wisely.
To my kids:
Your words have tremendous power.
You don’t have to look very far to find people who have something to say about the power of your words.
What Your Words Can Do.
"Don't ever diminish the power of words. Words move hearts and hearts move limbs." - Hamza Yusuf
"All I need is a sheet of paper and something to write with, and then I can turn the world upside down." - Friedrich Nietzsche
"No matter what anybody tells you, words and ideas can change the world." - John Keating
How many wars could have been avoided if people had chosen their words more carefully? How many marriages have been shattered because nobody stopped long enough to consider what they were about to say? How many churches have been torn to shreds because people’s words to one another were like a Spitting Cobra’s venom?
But also, on the positive side…
How many lives have been spared the torments of war because people chose their words carefully? How many marriages have been strengthened by a few well-chosen words? How many churches continue to thrive today because the people spoke lovingly to one another?
What God Says About Your Words.
Rushing to speak - especially in emotionally charged moments - is using very poor judgment.
So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God. (James 1:19-20)
Don’t be one of these people who rushes to be the first to open their mouths about some hot-button issue. There is a time to speak, but emotionally charged, poorly thought-out words rarely do any good.
Your words can either be more beneficial than a ship’s rudder or more destructive than a forest fire.
Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires. Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things.
See how great a forest a little fire kindles! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell. (James 3:4-6)
Your words can lift someone’s spirits or crush them.
A wholesome tongue is a tree of life,
But perverseness in it breaks the spirit. (Proverbs 15:4)
Some Advice.
In my experience, the initial urge I get to say something is rarely the right moment for that thing to be said.
If you wait, you will likely find a better moment to say what needs to be said. Also, when you wait to speak, you will better prepare your thoughts and formulate the words you need to use when you do speak.
Now, don’t go to the opposite extreme and never say anything that needs to be said - that’s just pure cowardice. You will also face that temptation, and sometimes that’s an even more brutal battle.
Put careful thought into the words you write and say. They can literally change your life for better or for worse.
Until next time,
Love Dad.
This is a tribute to the Great God that leads even when it may 'seem' not so. At first glance, people might think
my early life was 'not good' since the woman (of the couple) that adopted me hated me and told me this,
not quite directly, but you could easily put it together. I Couldn't actually figure out what she was saying,
and moved on, being younger.
In the house, I had absolutely no privacy at all, and everything was checked out, monitored severely and if
anything was 'off', she repeatedly told the man (I actually thought they were my parents, as this was
hidden from me for years). The man for his part was most definitely under her thumb (in retrospect), but
when he could, he respected me. He TAUGHT me, and CORRECTED me constantly about language.
All words had to be correct or I was corrected, and corrected. Many kids would hate that, but I just
corrected and went on. Never thought differently. He was a teacher and I thought a good one,
and I respected him. I held no view on the woman as it was 'chilly' around her.
But, in retrospect, now, I am delighted because I absolutely KNOW we are watched by spirits, maybe
too by their various 5G type things. People also are watching. This is to condemn us.
Because of this excellent, but rigorous (harsh?) upbringing, I learned to watch my words.
Every word has to pass through my 'belief filter' now. Words can do wonderful things,
or for others, terrible things.
Any sincere Christian doesn't want to be hurtful to others. Yet, what to do when provoked?
What to do when insulted or the array of other possibilities? Lie down, roll over and 'play dead'?
How good is it for the abuses, accuser to 'get away with it'? I suggest it's not good to let them
hurt you, or 'win'.
The biggest benefit my upbringing instilled in me was 'not reacting'. As one person put it,
being 'proactive'. Wanting always to be helpful regardless of what they did or said,
I would actually ask them to tell me more sometimes. This is always a judgement call.
You'll find on social media that many people are hurtful, not careful and when I see
people running down the bible, or the Lord, or those following the Lord, I reply to them.
I try to point out to them what they're conveying, and how inaccurate they often are.
These kinds of things often happen on Youtube, and the comments may have these
things. I don't think it's good to let these atheists have full sway, and be abusive,
run down Christians, and whatever else they do.
And, the exciting thing is I can always improve in those areas.
Living in Canada where there's just so much that is against the bible,
for example, you can look at Youtube and see the male student going to
a Catholic school where the CATHOLIC SCHOOL called the police and
had him arrested for saying he followed what the bible taught regarding
male and female. The SCHOOL, the one that supposedly believes in
the bible, phoned, and this young man was ARRESTED and HANDCUFFED
and will have a CRIMINAL RECORD and be fined and kept in prison for this.
You can find this on Youtube. Send to your friends. I just don't see or hear
the Christian churches rising up, defending this young man. So quiet.
We must ALL PRACTICE, though, just HOW to OPPOSE 'the devil's teachings',
how to carefully delineate through these mine fields.
Jordan Peterson is currently in a big battle for things he said on the
'Joe Rogan' show (a popular host), and on Twitter. As Jordan said,
he has millions of happy people who are delighted with what he said,
and there are about TEN lawsuits from unhappy people.
Since it's the College levying these lawsuits, then we know they are paying
these people's legal fees. None of the complaints were from any clients
he had or students he taught, or psychologists he trained.
So, it IS a minefield in Canada, and this topic is MANDATORY to learn how to
speak in this kind of environment. Most people won't SAY anything, and then
the heads just get away with more, and Christians are stifled.
I choose to learn how to speak. That doesn't mean absolutely nothing bad will
ever happen. But, as our Lord said, 'Lose your life for MY SAKE'....and that's
what counts.
We want to think of every word as a $100 bill, and we want this word to work out.
We are in a war, and it's getting clearer and clearer that this is so.
So, this is very timely and courses should be taught on it, examples of how
people should tackle different things.
There's a man in Canada, is it Ontario?...who opposed his young son's 'transitioning', was the son 14?, I think.
He has been fined over $30,000, is I think being jailed for this, and more. Think of the stress,
the anxiety, the horror of this!! What a black, bleak world is Canada today.
I suggest if we could read the transcripts, this father was not wise, did not 'watch' his words.
Yes, he'd be seriously pushed, but once we can step outside ourselves, and we CAN (it takes
practice), and watch ourselves, and see the effect, we just can do better. I'm in no way
criticizing this poor man who never had to encounter such a thing. But shouldn't we at
least try to learn from this and other tragedies?
Words spoken cannot be retracted. Wrong words have been known to ruin marriages.
So, again, very wise and good counsel given just at this time.
2FollowHim ....this is my avatar name and it means a lot to me.