January 25, 2016
Careless Words
Read:
James
3:1-12
The
tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. — James 3:5
My daughter has had a lot of ill health recently, and her
husband has been wonderfully caring and supportive. “You have a real treasure
there!” I said.
“You didn’t think that when I first knew him,” she said with a
grin.
She was quite right. When Icilda and Philip got engaged, I was
concerned. They were such different personalities. We have a large and noisy
family, and Philip is more reserved. And I had shared my misgivings with my
daughter quite bluntly.
I was horrified to realize that the critical things I said so
casually 15 years ago had stayed in her memory and could possibly have
destroyed a relationship that has proved to be so right and happy. It reminded
me how much we need to guard what we say to others. So many of us are quick to
point out what we consider to be weaknesses in family, friends, or work
colleagues, or to focus on their mistakes rather than their successes. “The
tongue is a small part of the body,” says James (3:5), yet the words it shapes
can either destroy relationships or bring peace and harmony to a situation in
the workplace, the church, or the family.
Perhaps we should make David’s prayer our own as we start each
day: “Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips”
(Ps. 141:3).
Father, please curb my careless speech and put a guard on my
tongue today and every day.
A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of
silver. Proverbs 25:11 nkjv
INSIGHT:
Marion Stroud went to be with the Lord on
August 8, 2015. Since 2014 she has been writing devotional articles for Our
Daily Bread that have touched the lives of readers around the world. Marion
worked as a cross-cultural trainer for Media Associates International, helping
writers produce books for their own culture. She has been a role model for
writers for many years and is missed by hundreds of friends.
Source: Our Daily Bread 2016
