"THE GIFT OF WORDS"

Good Evening to All!

Do Not Grieve the Spirit

Therefore, putting away lying, "Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor," for we are members of one another. (26) "Be angry, and do not sin": do not let the sun go down on your wrath, (27) nor give place to the devil. (28) Let him who stole, steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give hi who has need. (29) Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification , that it may impart grace to the hearers.

(30) And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. (31) Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. (32) And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
Ephesians 4:25-32 KJV


"Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." This is what verse comes to mind when I start to say something snide or catty, something critical or haughty. While I do not consider myself an evil person, if we aren't careful my mouth can turn me into one. I say this because the tongue is the most UNRULY member of the body. I'm getting these thoughts after reading these two Bible verses: Matthew 12:34 -- "O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh" as well as Luke 6:45 which states "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh."

I find it so hard to understand why people want to be so negative toward others, to say hateful and critical things. It's not as though those hurtful words will help them rise above abstacles. If anything, they will help to tear that person down.

I know of NO ONE who prefers insults over compliments. I know you are thinking if someone is not dressed properly or needs advice, sometimes it is necessary to be critical. Let me let you in on a little secret. If people want your advice, they will ask for it. Not only that, even if you are solicited for advice, you can always find a way to help them understand without being insulting.

If someone asks me if I like their dress, and I think it's horrid, I will find SOMETHING I like about it. I will say the color is nice on you. I would not say no, it's awful.

Everyone responds much better to positive words. We are placed on this earth to be encouragers to one another. This is not something that comes natural to us. When we get angry, the first thing we want to do is lash out with hateful words. Instead, we are to be as Christ, and forgive.

My pet peeve is rudeness. When someone is rude to me, I want to say something to them so badly, but I am LEARNING to hold it back.

I try to treat people the way I want to be treated. The thing is, a lot of times, it is NOT riciprocated. I may not say anything to that person, but I'll tell my hubby all about it, and he just tells me I expect too much, that not everyone is like me. There is such thing as being over consciencious. That's his view.

We all have to WORK at being Christ-like. We have to think before we speak. When my hubby and I first were married, he NEVER complained about my cooking, even when I knew it was bad. After 26 years, I have learned to cook much better, but the difference now is that he complains if he doesn't like it. It used to hurt my feelings and I would come back with a snide remark, but now I just tell him "I'm sorry, I won't fix it anymore". Sometimes I'll even offer to fix him something else. I have to say I like he way of complaining sometimes. Now if I tell him we're having pork chops for supper (other than swiss), he says he'll cook them. He says I don't season them good enough. That's ok with me. I don't mind if he wants to cook! LOL!

The point is, WE ARE HUMAN. We have to work at holding our tongues. We have to think before we speak. We need to look to Jesus as our example and follow in His foot steps. Show mercy, which is truly forgiving when we have been wronged. We must reach deep down in our hearts for the right things to say at the appropriate times and might I say BE SINCERE about them. to help someone feel better, feel respected and feel loved.

There are a couple of "old sayings" that are so true. The first is "Kill them with kindness". When someone has hurt you or been rude. Turn it around and say something nice to them. They will not know how to respond, and it will definitely make them look inside themselves. The second, (and I used to hate this saying) is that you catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar. In other words, you can get a lot more done if you are nice to people than if you are hateful and sarcastic.

Remember Words can either make you or break you. The child's saying that we used to hear about Sticks and stone may break my bones but words can never hurt me is definitely NOT a true statement. I have seen lives ruined because of words. I have seen people crushed because of words.

This world would be such a better place if we all thought positive thoughts. This world would be such a better place if we all think before we speak.

Good Night To All and May God Bless!