Don’t Say It!

by Aug 19, 2016Devotional2 comments

Proverbs 23:16 My innermost being will cheer when your lips say what is right.

      Give thy thoughts no tongue. William Shakespeare
      The good advice William Shakespeare was giving seemed to be “Keep your thoughts to yourself; act in a rational way.” In this irrational world, that advice might be difficult. There are whole industries given to visual entertainment, scandal sheets and call-in radio shows devoted entirely to spewing one’s thoughts and regurgitating them to the point of ad nauseam.
      How often have we said something we wish wholeheartedly we could take the words back. Even after hearing that still small voice in our minds saying, “Don’t say it!” But nonetheless, it got said, resulting in everything from divorce to libel court dates. They did not control the impulse in their mind. They gave free rein to their tongues, resulting in irreparable damage. James 3:5 In the same way, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it boasts of great things. Consider how small a spark sets a great forest on fire. 
      I was spewing my thoughts in one situation and the lesson literally came home loud and clear. I had driven my wife to the airport and the scanners for boarding passes had just been introduced in the airport. I was having difficulty going through the prompts because the option I needed did not seem to come up. The elderly couple next to me were having a harder time with the scanners when they asked for assistance from an airline agent. With great exasperation and over-dramatic emphasis she blurted out, “Can’t you read?” 
      Everyone in the area turned to look at the elderly couple who were paralyzed with embarrassment. I was indignant and red-faced at the discourtesy of this so-called service person. I got up to the counter and voiced my thoughts about this agent and what I said was not kind. What I did not know was that I had leaned on my blue-tooth device in a way that it automatically called the last phone number that had been dialed and everything I had said about this terrible airline agent was being recorded on the answering machine at the other end. Eccl.10:20 Do not revile the king even in your thoughts, or curse the rich in your bedroom, because a bird in the sky may carry your words, and a bird on the wing may report what you say. 
      The saving grace and mercy that came my way in all my poor Christian behavior by lowering myself to the same obnoxiousness as the agent was the answering machine my words had been recorded on was the one at my own house. I was embarrassed at what I heard when I got home and the words of Jesus were without doubt in my mind. Matt. 12:36 But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken.
      Yes, my dear friends, I repented right there on the spot. Yes, there was a voice in my head saying, “Don’t say it that way,” but I did not listen. Since then, this event has become one of those family stories told once in a while as a life lesson. Chuckles and laughter sometimes come out in the retelling of my embarrassing display of unrighteousness. However, the lesson is clear, we are responsible for what we say and our words will be judged. 

      We will have to give an account of our verbiage given out on a daily basis. Col. 4:6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. There was a proper way to deal with the poor behavior of this airline agent. There are in most cases respectful ways of dealing with people behaving badly. I did not do it with lips saying the right thing. The Lord’s heart was not cheered with how I said it. Prov. 23:16 My innermost being will cheer when your lips say what is right.
       As a parent, I have always hoped my sons would be men who speak kindly and respond in the right way toward others. God, the Father, expects the same out of His children who we are in Christ. As children of the most High God, we are ambassadors to the world – speaking the words of the Lord in love. 
      Love does sometimes have a hard word to say, but we can say it with grace, humility, and without being corrosive or argumentative. I am not as eloquent in speech as Mr. Shakespeare, but what he said makes sense. Heeding his advice would be a good thing for most of us on this earth to take on as a personal endeavor. 
      Guarding our tongue and listening to the voice that says, “Don’t say it” would be a good habit to develop in our hearts and minds. Prov. 25:11 A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver. It’s time to retool the way we say things. May God give us His grace to have lips to say what is right. Amen.
Find Other Devotions About:

2 Comments

  1. sirnorm1

    Thank you miss Bernadette. Blessings to you and your family.

    Reply
  2. Bernadette

    Enjoyed reading this post Sir Norm 🙂

    Reply

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sir Norm’s Proverbial Comment

Stop Watering Dead Plants

Finish Strong

Jeremiah 12:5 If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you, then how can you contend with horses? And if in the land of peace, in which you trusted, they wearied you, then how will you do in the floodplain of the Jordan?         Finish strong, or...

Chances Are

Jeremiah 26:14 Therefore, now change your ways and your deeds and obey the voice of the LORD your God; then the LORD will relent and reverse His decision concerning the misfortune which He has pronounced against you.              Chances are you are not going to...

Small Content

Jeremiah 32:27 Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is anything too difficult for Me?            I asked God to help me with a small thing this week and realized what I was asking was of small content and not that pressing compared to the wars going on. I...

No Widespread Revelation

1Samuel 3:1 Now the boy Samuel ministered to the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was rare in those days; there was no widespread revelation.       The above verse describes a sad time on earth when very little voice, inspiration, or vision from God was...

While We Still Have Breath

Genesis 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.       The very first breath that was transferred into Adam's nostrils was God's very own infinite life force making Adam...

Too Many Choices

Joshua 24:15 But if it is unpleasing in your sight to serve the LORD, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. As for me and my house,...

A Deal I Can Live With

Genesis 3:16 To the woman he said, “I will make your pains in childbearing very severe; with painful labour you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.”   I was listening to a marriage counsellor describe some...

As Selfish As Everyone Else

Genesis 4:7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.”               The rude awakening that sometimes hits our hearts and lets us know that we are as...

Smile And Nod

Romans 12:18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. I was talking with my mom about some family dynamics that were not going to be easy to deal with. I asked her how she dealt with these types of situations, and she said, "I have...

Based On A True Story

1John 5:20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true—in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.        Whenever there is a movie that is advertised as...

You Can’t Steal My Discipline

Matthew 6:20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.       You cannot steal anyone's discipline who has become accustomed to the stabilizing rules of conduct, faithful results,...

What Are You Buying Into?

Revelation 3:18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold having been refined by fire so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may be clothed and the shame of your nakedness might not be made manifest, and eye-salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.    ...

AudioReads

Darkness Bleeds

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvnlBYHLQb0 It is easy to flow with the crowd. Make up your own mind on what you see going on in people's lives.

Spiritually Empty

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrzTcPZcWQ8   If you find yourself spiritually empty, then fill yourself up with God and all that He has for you.

God In A Box

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFLy9PTBMNI We cannot contain God within any human device or box. However, we can have Him live in our hearts. How great is that?