Proverbs 15:1-18
Speech seems to be the topic of the day in Proverbs 15:1-18. Did you notice how many verses either directly or indirectly related to our words? That highlighted for me just how important it is for us to be mindful of every single thing we let come out of our mouths. It all boils down to choice. We can use our speech wisely and be blessed or be a blessing to others or we can use our speech foolishly and cause damage. Verse 4 kind of sums it up for me. "A gentle tongue is a tree of life..."
So what did you take from Proverbs 15:1-18? Have any thoughts on speech? Or did something else grab your attention? Tami W.
It is truly fascinating when you think of how you swore you would never be like your mom or dad when you were growing up. I thought I knew everything by the time I was ready to drive a car. BOY--WAS I WRONG!
Now that my mom - dad - and husband have all passed away, I have become the matriarch of the family and can see that I have become the same person my mother use to be. I am not saying that this is a bad thing, I am saying I never thought the words she used would flow so effortlessly out of my mouth. The words are out of my mouth before I have even processed the thought. I am in awe and think to myself: WOW--WHERE DID THAT COME FROM!!!! ONE OF THOSE AHA MOMENTS THAT LEAVE YOU DUMBFOUNDED.
To all of the young parents out there----be mindful of what you say and how you say it---WORDS and DEEDS do mold a child's future. When they say our children are our future takes on a different meaning.----WALK THE WALK AND TALK THE TALK----YOUR CHILDREN WILL BECOME THE PERON YOU ARE TODAY----NO DO OVERS ONCE THE WORDS LEAVE YOUR MOUTH---I am very fortunate because my parents set a standard for me and my late husband set a standard for out children - I will need to follow in some very large shoes to follow in their footsteps----I only hope my children will feel the same about me and hope that I have left a good inpression for those that will follow in my footsteps. I want my words to reflect GOD'S LOVE AND PRESENCE IN MY CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN'S LAUGHTER AND IN OUR TREE OF LIFE.
While reading; my thoughts reflected on how Jesus actually personified today's verses! .... and also, how much we all need to control our tongues! We need to yield every member of our bodies to Him and His control. Let Him have His way in us as well as through us.
I think there is a problem with either your site or my email since for third day in a row the bible reading is from Philipians whereas when I pull up the blog for today it is from Proverbs. Can you shed any light on the situation. Thanks in advance. (By the way I was curious how the May conference went).
Allan
Thanks for your question Allan. Yes, some of the information in the emails for the past couple of days has been inaccurate. We apologize for our error! The reading in the blog for today is correct (Proverbs 15:1-18).
The application questions in the email should have been:
List some ways our speech, words or tongue need to be used positively. How would you say your daily conversation measures up?
Again, we're sorry for our mess up. Thanks for understanding!
Meredith, P4 Team Member
I had the same problem with today's email not being right. I hope that it will be fixed by tomorrow.
I think some ways that our speech, words or tongue may be used positively are:
In my morning prayer I ask my Lord and Saviour to guide what I do or say. There are times when someone say something to me I I just wish to retort. So I need God's guidance.
I let my family and friends know I love them.
If someone messes up and is very apologetic I try to let them know we all make mistakes and it can happen to anyone.
I compliment people
I say good morning or give a hug to someone
I share my testimonies with a friend and she also shares with me.
Right now a former colleague died and even though I hardly knew her family I visit them often, offer sympathy and on Thursday I invited them to lunch at my home and they had such a wonderful time. The passing of their mom, grandmother and aunt have brought us so close that we want to ccontinue to keep in touch. Most of them reside in Canada and USA. We do not belong to the same denomination but we get on so well. The older daughter who will stay on will visit my church and I will also visit hers.
I know in my life I can look back and see how I have hurt other people by my words, and other people have hurt me by their words.
I often ask God to put a "guard" over my mouth, especially when I'm tired or a little down. Our words can be extremely powerful. I hope to always use my words to encourage others around me.
you said it . CHOICE . we have to make the choice to speak living words . i think the more i watch movies t.v. shows etc. that use negative the more i'm apt to do the same . the people we hang around greatly influence us too. i have to be careful not to react to things to quickly to or i say the wrong things ...
Lord help me to be quick to listen slow to speak and slow to become angry. Thank you Lord.
One has a choice to be wise or to be foolish. Mixed within that choice is how one speaks or chooses to use words. Proverbs chapter 15 verse 14 states, "The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge, but the mouths of fools feed on folly." Seeking out knowledge before speaking assists one in offering words that uplift rather than tear-down.
I want to make the choice of wisdom in inter-acting with others. Gentle heart coupled with caring words goes a long ways. Mix in listening and understanding what others say. This wise combination works well in many situations. My choice is to study Scripture daily to know how God would have me speak. Then choosing to listen to others before speaking would place me in a better position to offer kind words. Next part of that combination is prayer. I want to talk to God regularly concerning what He would have me do or say in my interactions with others.
Today's reading encourages me to make wise choices in my words and in my actions. This Scripture portion also teaches me to be prepared so that my words can be appropriate in all situations. "Choose Wisely"! Yes, that's a title with which I can totally agree. I only wish that I was better at making wise choices.
Good morning Tami,
This is a powerful discussion. As concerns me and as would apply to most people, I am weakest and vulnerable when I'm in hurt or pain from what someone has done to me; but who are the people who cause us the most pain and hurt? They are usually the closest people to us - our family and very close friends. It is therefore important to drink from the peace of God at such times and ask for control of our body members so we may not say or do anything we'll come back to regret. For the most part, a practical christian will typically be cautious of utterances because we know better that our word cannot be taken back and they better be good to prosper us. Let us be careful when we chat amongst our friends, when we're hurting or even when we seem to be having fun. Satan is always lurking.