|
Watch Your Mouth
God Nuggets, Issue 15
"So also the tongue is a small thing, but what enormous damage it can do. A great forest can be set on fire by one t iny spark. And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is full of wickedness, and poisons every part of the body. And the tongue is set on fire by hell itself, and can turn our whole lives into a blazing flame of destruction and disaster." - James 3:5-6 (TLB)
The tongue may be the sharpest knife in the drawer. Every time I drag a brush across my tongue, I scour my soul with the words of the Miranda rule: "You have the right to remain silent, because what you say can and will be used against you." What do they mean?
The ancient wisdom is truer today than it was then: "If you can't find something nice to say about anyone, don't say it." My post-modern addition to this ancient version of the Miranda rule is this: "If you find out anything negative about anyone, think it and sink it." Do what Mary did when her world was rocked by some news: "Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart" (Luke 2:19 KJV).
You can never be too busy, too tired, or too pressured not to always check the accuracy of the data that comes your way, and to greet everything you hear with a healthy skepticism. If you don't "keep" and "ponder" before talking and proclaiming, you can inflict heavy pain and damages-whether to communities or careers or companies or yourself. I can make my lifespace full of inaccurate, inconsequential, inconsiderate garbage just like I can litter my front yard with garbage.
from "Learn to Dance the Soul Salsa" by Leonard Sweet, PhD
Like this God Nuggets article? Send it to a friend.
 Fresh Start is sent only to those who subscribed to it. If you no longer wish to receive Fresh Start Inspirations, simply click here. This publication may be freely redistributed if copied in its entirety. Portions of this newsletter may be reprinted with permission.
|
