Читать книгу Wellspring - Karen Moore - Страница 81

March 13

What You Say Matters!

I tell you that people will have to answer on Judgment Day for every useless word they speak. By your words you will be either judged innocent or condemned as guilty.

—Matthew 12:36-37

This has to be one of the scariest Scriptures in the Bible. After all, most of us do a lot of talking. This verse is a good reminder of the benefits of being brief and holding our tongues when the need arises.

What causes us to go on and on when we would be better served to remain silent? Jesus gave us an example of effective silence and limited commentary when he was in front of Pilate, being accused of things that simply weren't true.

Many of us have a tendency to either overexplain or demand detailed explanations from someone else, and before we know it anger erupts and caution is thrown to the wind. We spew things out of our mouths that if we choose to rewind the tape later and listen might cause us to wince.

Our lesson then is to be very aware of what we say. As we lean in on the Lord, we will have the grace and the kindness to treat others with respect and love. Words like that bless everyone, and apparently even bring blessing back to us. Let's be kind today.

In the Flow

Lord, help me remember that what I say to anyone is important. Let me speak only with forethought, with kindness, and with love. Amen.