Verse of the Day - Proverbs 10:19

When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.
~ Proverbs 10:19 (NIV)

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I just finished playing on a co-ed softball team, and although I'm not a softball player, I had a lot of fun. We were on a 'D' league, so things were supposed to be pretty relaxed and low-key. But when it came to the playoff and championship games, the gloves came off and teams seemed out for blood! (Mind you, this was a church league) Competitiveness was high and tempers got warm, to say the least. One of our players remarked that the song "They will know we are Christians by our love" came to their mind, and we even sang a few bars -- more than once -- from the dugout! :-) It was a challenge sometimes to keep from saying things that weren't nice or beneficial or loving, when bad calls were made or the score wasn't in our favor! All I can say is that playing a team sport is a wonderful training ground for Christian living...God will challenge you time and again to hone your character -- and hold your tongue.

Our mouths can get us into so much trouble, amen? Whether we are angry, think we know so much, or are a blabbermouth, we spill out things that can shed a bad light on ourselves and cause some real emotional damage for others.

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. ~ James 3:9-10 (NIV)

My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. ~ James 1:19-20 (NIV)

Our words are so powerful. They can build people up to greatness, or crush them into nothing. And words spoken can never be retrieved, once they find a listener. How many times have we wished we could take back something we said? And how often, in those times, did we think to ask God for wisdom before we spoke? Probably not many.

Wisdom say Think first, speak second. Or better yet--Pray first, think second, speak third.

I'm sure today will bring circumstances where you are challenged to hold your tongue, where you need to seek the Lord before giving your two cents' worth, where wisdom is crying out for you to seek God's words and not your own. I pray you can go to God first, and be willing to listen to Him, giving Him the right-of-way in the traffic of your daily conversation. Yielding to Him will keep you from having to back up and turn around, or from getting into a major collision! :-)

Love,
Joelene