Guard Your Words

We seem to have two choices for everything we do.  Let’s look at what we say when we speak.
We can either:

•         Lift someone up in prayer or tear them down with gossip.
•         Share our faith with them or deny our faith by ungodly actions.
•         Be thankful or critical and judgmental.
•         Be truthful or dishonest.
•         Admit our mistakes or blame someone else.
•         Apologize or ignore our bad behavior.
•         Help someone in need or neglect them.
•         Give a sincere compliment or insincere flattery.
•         Be optimistic or negative.    
•         Be an encourager or a discourager.
•         Tell others about God’s good deeds or take the credit for yourself.

There is no doubt the choices to make if we want to please God.  The Word says:

     Psalm 19:14 - “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my Strength and my Redeemer.”

I say this above scripture as an antidote when my critical spirit rears its ugly head.  I find it very difficult to think in a critical way about someone or some situation at the same time I am asking God to accept what I am thinking and what I am about to say.

        Psalm 34;1 – “I will Bless the Lord at all times, His praise shall continually be in my mouth.”

James addresses this same problem:

James 3:8-10 – “But no man can tame the tongue.  It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.  With it we Bless our God and Father, and with it  we curse men, who have been made in His Image.  Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing.  My brethren these things ought not to be so.”

Replace criticism with praise:

Psalm 35-28 – “And my tongue shall speak of  Your righteousness and of Your praise all day long.

Determine to think before you speak:

Psalm 39:1 – “I will guard my ways, lest I sin with my tongue; I will restrain my mouth with a muzzle.”

Sin breaks God’s heart and our heart should be broken also.

Psalm 51:15-17 -“O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall show forth Your praise.  For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;  You do not delight in burnt offering.  The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart.  These, O God You will not despise.”

Don’t brag about yourself.  Give God the credit.  It’s not about us.  It’s all about Him.

Psalm 71:7-8 - “I have become as a wonder to many.  But you are my strong refuge. Let my mouth be filled with Your praise and with Your glory all the day.”

Keep in mind that God knows what you are going to say, before you say it:

Psalm 139:4 – “For there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O Lord, You know it altogether.”

We should also think twice about what is in our heart before we open our mouth.

Psalm 139:23-24 – “Search me, O God,and know my heart; Try me and know my thoughts; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in Thy way everlasting."

I would personally like to add a few words of wisdom from my many years of experience. It is so easy to slip into a bad habit and not recognize it as an ungodly habit.  I believe it is necessary, every now and then, to take an inventory of our actions and see if they live up to God’s standards. We can always ask His forgiveness and start over.  I pray these scriptures have been helpful to you.  Please feel free to share my thoughts and advice with others.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Granny Witt