A few days ago I was reading Psalm 119 when a student I had more than forty years ago popped into my mind. His name was Norman. It was an advanced speech class, I think advanced interpretation of poetry. He did not want to be in my class. I don't know who put him in my class or why he felt he had no choice about taking it; however it happened, he was not happy.
On a paper he had to turn in to me, he wrote the reference Psalm 119:99 across the top. I don't know if he thought I would not look it up, but I did. It read, "I have more insight than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation." I graded his paper and gave it back to him with another Scripture reference on it, Proverbs 21:23. I like the way the Living Bible says this one, "Watch your tongue and keep your mouth shut, and you will stay out of trouble." I never said another word to him about it, and he never said a word to me about it.
As I thought about that situation I thought about how many times I need to watch my tongue and keep my mouth shut. Scripture is full of instruction on how to speak or when to speak, the most notable of these being found in James 3. That passage is very well known, so I'm not going there. Let's start with Ephesians 4:29, NLT, "Don't use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them." NASB says, "Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear." This admonition is needed more now than at any recent point of history. The dissension and disagreement over politics and Corona and the vaccine have brought more division among families, churches, friends, and even strangers than I have ever seen. There seems to be no more civil discourse anywhere. We cannot allow others to simply have a different position; we must berate them in person and on social media for their daring to disagree.
Proverbs 12:18 emphasizes the divide again, "Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing." Colossians 3:17 says, "Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father." That's an even higher standard, to do everything in His name.
I found a poem by Susan L. Lenzkes that made me laugh.
Don't look now, Lord!
I don't want You
to see me
standing here with
my big foot
crammed in my mouth.
Don't worry, child.
If I didn't love you
just as much with your
foot in your mouth
I'd hardly ever get a
chance to love you.
I want to add one caveat. Sometimes it is just as wrong to keep our mouths shut. Proverbs 15:23, NKJV, says, "A man has joy by the answer of his mouth, and a word spoken in due season, how good it is!" I hate confrontation. I am very careful what I say. During this time of conflict in our nation, in our churches, in our families, sometimes we need to speak up, sometimes to confirm, sometimes to confront. Sometimes my silence is cowardice.
So here is my challenge: Let's make our words good for edification according to the need of the moment. Let our words offer grace to those who hear us.
~~Faith Himes Lamb
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