"He who would love life and see good days..."

Tonight, I would like to study on watching what we say. Unfortunately, I think I have perfected the exact reverse of "think about what you say, before you say it"... Too much of the time I get upset about something and say things without thinking about what I'm saying, or what the result of my words will be, until it's too late. I'm challenging myself to be better at being "slow to speak, slow to wrath..."

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Ps. 141:3- "Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips."

Prov. 13:3- "He who guards his mouth preserves his life, but he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction."

Prov. 21:23- "Whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from trouble."

James 1:26- "If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one's religion is useless."

1 Peter 3:10- "For "He who would love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit.""

You know that awkward moment in a conversation... okay, an argument... when you realize that you're wrong? Or just when you've had an argument, and after it's over and you've had time to think about it, you regret it? I think I've had a few more of those moments than I would like to admit. 

The bible says that, "If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one's religion is useless."... Ouch! If that isn't a wake-up call, I don't know what is. If we spout off and get mad, and say things we shouldn't without thinking... our religion is useless?? But that makes sense, because being a christian is about self-control and doing God's will rather than our own. Matt. 16:24- "Then said Jesus unto his disciples, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." Again in Romans 12:1, we are told to, "present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service."

     

So, how can we gain control of our tongue, and be "slow to speak, slow to wrath"? 

James 1:19-27- "19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: 20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. 21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. 22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: 24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. 25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not aforgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. 26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain. 27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world."

To put all of this together in my scatter-brained kind of way, I guess you could say that in order to be a doer of God's word, we much know God's word. If we are busy studying God's word so that we know what we are supposed to do, visiting the fatherless and widows, and keeping ourselves unspotted from the world, we won't have time to speak badly or with anger.  Think about what you want the result to be, before you say it. Is it really necessary for you to say whatever it is you are wanting to say? How will it make the person you are speaking to feel?

Another thing that helps is to memorize scripture, so that if you are feeling irritated or whatever, you just keep saying it over and over until you've overcome the urge to say something you shouldn't. :) Psalm 119:11- "Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You." (You can also back-up and read verses 1-10 of that chapter.) 

Memory Verse Challenge:

- Psalm 119:11- "Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You."

- James 1:19-20 - Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:  For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God."

- James 1:26- "If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one's religion is useless."

This study has definitely given me some things to think about and hopefully a few ways to improve. If you've read the whole thing to this point, I hope you've been able to take something from this study that will help your walk with God, as well. Until next time...

Take care and God bless!

Megan Jo