Have you ever started to say something or said something and realized, “I should not have said that.” It may have hurt someone’s feelings or broken a confidence or was not the right time or place to make that statement. You might wish there was a “redo” button. You might wish there was an easy way to erase that moment in time, but there is not. You try and cover for whatever was said and usually make it worse. There may be a moment of awkward silence or all may go on as if it was not said. Once it happens, it always leaves a bad feeling and I always THEN remember, “think before I speak”. In today’s world, this is even more important. It feels like everyone is trying to find a reason to be angry at someone else or at what was said or what was NOT said.
I remember as a child singing this song,
“Oh be careful little mouth what you say,
For the Father up above is looking down in love, Oh, be careful little mouth what you say.”
This children’s song continues with additional verses:
“Oh be careful little feet where you go; Oh, be careful little mind what you think; Oh be careful little hands what you do”, etc.
It always ends with, “For the Father up above is looking down in love”.
As a child, I was so glad to know that the Father would still love me even when I was not careful what “my little mouth said”.
As an adult, I am thankful that no matter the mistake, my Father up above will look down on me with love. I can forgive myself because God will still love me.
Proverbs 20:15 tells us “Wise speech is rarer and more valuable than gold or rubies.”
Solomon tells us that our speech is worth more than precious jewels. But Solomon describes the kind of speech we should strive for… WISE speech. That is where the hard part comes in. Wise speech can make someone’s day better. “Un-Wise” speech can make someone’s day worse. During times of stress or when the world around us feels heavy is when we need to find WISE speech. Practice thinking before you speak. Practice using words to make someone’s day better, not worse. Each God given day, make it important to, “be careful little mouth, feet, mind and hands what we do” but never forget, “the Father up above is looking down with love”.
We are Blessed!
Beth Jenkins
