The background was pretty, and the girls were beautiful as I sat with a friend watching the couples walk across the stage before their prom. Their names were announced and they walked arm in arm across the floor to show the audience the attire they had chosen to wear to the prom. The dresses came in many styles and colors. Some were knee length, others hung to the floor. You had those with many ruffles and lace, and those that were silky and sleek. About half way through the show I caught myself and my friend "oooing" and "awwing" at all the dresses we particularly liked. But along with the approval of the gowns we thought were beautiful...came those we didn't like. I suddenly realized that every time a girl walked out with a dress we didn't think was all that pretty, we made sure we announced it. She would look at me and say," eew i don't really like that one" and as another would walk out i would say," the red one isn't very pretty!" Shed look at me and Id look at her and we would snarl our nose up every time a certain dress just didn't tickle our fancy! We were just stating our opinion. The problem though was that we were being inconsiderate of the other people around us who were watching. Suddenly I realized that the man sitting behind us may have been there to see his precious daughter who was beautiful in his eyes no matter what she was wearing. The woman beside me could have been a grandmother who worked hard making her granddaughter's dress with her own hands.The words they heard us say may have hurt their feelings. I felt really ashamed. My intent was not to make these people feel bad, but it's possible that because of the words i spoke ,I did!. After we realized that we could be offending others around us who were there to applaud their loved one, we decided to stop saying anything when there was a certain dress we weren't to fond of. We did continue to clap or comment on the ones we liked. We just kept our mouth shut on the others instead of saying some negative comment that could sound to someone else a criticism.
You know, just like it was best for us to keep our opinion to ourselves about the dresses , that principle also applies in other areas in our everyday life. The Bible has many verses in it about our mouth.
Proverbs 18:21 says Death and life are in the power of the tongue and they that love it shall eat the fruit therof
Wow! Imagine having the power to kill or to make alive, right there in our own mouth...but that is what God says in his word. Although we cant physically kill someone or bring them back to life, it is possible for us to kill them emotionally.
Proverbs13:3 says He that keeps his mouth keeps his life but he that opens wide his lips shall have destruction.
There again are some powerful words! Many relationships could have been saved if people would have chose to just keep their mouth shut. We don't realize how harmful our words can be. Our words can destroy even if that's not what we are trying to do. We were not trying to hurt any ones feelings at the Promenade. We were just simply stating our opinion. But do you know that the Bible teaches that there is a time to speak and a time to be silent? Ecclesiastes 3:7 tells us that.
Proverbs 15:28 says The heart of the righteous studys to answer but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things. We should think before we speak. Most of the time we just say whatever is on our mind. We feel the pressure building up and bam out it comes! We often say things that we didn't mean or that we regret. Even if we did mean what we said, we didn't have to say it We won't die if we hold it in until later or just not give our opinion at all.. If it is an important issue that really needs to be discussed, we need to obey Gods word by thinking first about what and how we are going to say it. We also need to make sure it is the right time to say it.
James has alot to say about the mouth in the Bible. James 3:3-6 says Behold, we put bits in the horses mouths that they may obey us and we turn about their whole body. Behold also the ships,which though they be so great and are driven of fierce winds,yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth. Even so the tongue is a little member and boasteth great things. Behold how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity;so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body and setteth on fire the course of nature. and it is set on fire of Hell.
God is very clear here! Even though our tongue is the smallest part of our body, it can do the most damage.
Matthew 12:26 says that we will have to give an account to God for EVERY idle word we speak. Yes, Id say our speech is very important! We not only damage others when we don't use our mouth the way God says...we damage our self too! Ephesians 4:29 says that the only thing that should come out of our mouth are words that will encourage. Sounds like alot to live up to doesn't it? Dealing with people isn't easy. They complain to us, gossip to us, insult us,yell at us and the list of negative things that come out of our mouth every day goes on and on! But through Christ you can take control of your speech.You don't have to talk to others the way they talk to you! Ask God to forgive you for the wrong and hurtful things that have come out of your mouth and ask him to help you replace them with speech that will honor him. Look through your Bible and write down every verse you can find about the mouth and study them! It really is important!
Proverbs 21:23 says whoever keeps his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles!
Are you having trouble with people or a person? Maybe you need to work on your mouth! Taking care of your mouth might just take care of your trouble!
You know, just like it was best for us to keep our opinion to ourselves about the dresses , that principle also applies in other areas in our everyday life. The Bible has many verses in it about our mouth.
Proverbs 18:21 says Death and life are in the power of the tongue and they that love it shall eat the fruit therof
Wow! Imagine having the power to kill or to make alive, right there in our own mouth...but that is what God says in his word. Although we cant physically kill someone or bring them back to life, it is possible for us to kill them emotionally.
Proverbs13:3 says He that keeps his mouth keeps his life but he that opens wide his lips shall have destruction.
There again are some powerful words! Many relationships could have been saved if people would have chose to just keep their mouth shut. We don't realize how harmful our words can be. Our words can destroy even if that's not what we are trying to do. We were not trying to hurt any ones feelings at the Promenade. We were just simply stating our opinion. But do you know that the Bible teaches that there is a time to speak and a time to be silent? Ecclesiastes 3:7 tells us that.
Proverbs 15:28 says The heart of the righteous studys to answer but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things. We should think before we speak. Most of the time we just say whatever is on our mind. We feel the pressure building up and bam out it comes! We often say things that we didn't mean or that we regret. Even if we did mean what we said, we didn't have to say it We won't die if we hold it in until later or just not give our opinion at all.. If it is an important issue that really needs to be discussed, we need to obey Gods word by thinking first about what and how we are going to say it. We also need to make sure it is the right time to say it.
James has alot to say about the mouth in the Bible. James 3:3-6 says Behold, we put bits in the horses mouths that they may obey us and we turn about their whole body. Behold also the ships,which though they be so great and are driven of fierce winds,yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth. Even so the tongue is a little member and boasteth great things. Behold how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity;so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body and setteth on fire the course of nature. and it is set on fire of Hell.
God is very clear here! Even though our tongue is the smallest part of our body, it can do the most damage.
Matthew 12:26 says that we will have to give an account to God for EVERY idle word we speak. Yes, Id say our speech is very important! We not only damage others when we don't use our mouth the way God says...we damage our self too! Ephesians 4:29 says that the only thing that should come out of our mouth are words that will encourage. Sounds like alot to live up to doesn't it? Dealing with people isn't easy. They complain to us, gossip to us, insult us,yell at us and the list of negative things that come out of our mouth every day goes on and on! But through Christ you can take control of your speech.You don't have to talk to others the way they talk to you! Ask God to forgive you for the wrong and hurtful things that have come out of your mouth and ask him to help you replace them with speech that will honor him. Look through your Bible and write down every verse you can find about the mouth and study them! It really is important!
Proverbs 21:23 says whoever keeps his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles!
Are you having trouble with people or a person? Maybe you need to work on your mouth! Taking care of your mouth might just take care of your trouble!
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