Monday Motivation: A Calculated Choice
Posted by Andrea
I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. (Matthew 12:36)
Over the past few years I have made many, many online purchases and I’d never had an issue with any of those transactions until a few weeks ago. After a recent purchase one of the items arrived with damage and there was a long delay in the pickup of the damaged item. In addition, my credit card was overcharged and my many calls to the customer service department did not help rectify the situation.
I was highly frustrated with the whole ordeal and I made sure all of the customer service representatives I spoke with understood exactly how I felt. Each time I spoke with a new customer service representative my patience grew shorter, tone became more unpleasant, and my words became more harsh. Thankfully, a family friend who works for the company was eventually able to intervene and resolve my issues before I lost it completely!
When I think back on how I handled this situation, I am not proud. I let my emotions carry me away and I spoke carelessly. Since most people understand how this could happen, they might be willing to excuse my harsh words. However, God holds me to a much higher standard and He is not willing to brush my bad behavior under the rug.
In Matthew 12:36, Jesus shows us that we have to be careful of what we say because we will be held accountable. God will not excuse our idle words because someone got on our nerves or because he had it coming to him, or because she said something unkind first. Now that we have given our lives to Him, God expects us to be a good ambassadors for Him. Part of our ambassador duties include thinking before we speak, allowing the words we speak to be seasoned with wisdom and grace, and even practicing silence at the most challenging of times. Our words are a calculated choice and we must choose them wisely.
For an emotional person like me, accomplishing these things can seem like an impossible task! However, scripture reminds me that with God’s help, all things are possible (Philippians 4:13). I can be thoughtful, wise, and even silent but only if I continually ask God to serve as the doorman of my mouth (Psalm 141:3). Most importantly, when I slip up and utter something careless, I can go to God in sincerity, repent, and ask Him to forgive me for my words. Then I can praise Him all the more because He will no longer remember my transgressions (Psalm 103:11-12)!
This week, I have a three step plan to help remind me of the importance of speaking properly. First, I’ll be reading the book of James. It’s a great place to start if you want to learn about how to keep control of your words. Next, I’ll be praying about the words I speak and the tone of my voice and asking God to guide me. Finally, I’ll be posting a new Bible verse on my refrigerator:
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer. (Psalm 19:14)
If you need to work on this area, feel free to join me! May your Monday be happy and blessed!
Prayer:
Dear Lord, thank you for the words the Bible provides for us to ponder and for the many ways these words can help us in our Christian walk. Help us to use our words to encourage and bless others. Forgive us for the times we have not spoken helpful words and give us the strength and courage we need to apologize to those who may have been hurt by our words. Give us wisdom as we speak and help us remember that our words reflect who we are and what we believe. Amen.
Food For Thought:
1. When was the last time you uttered hurtful or unwise words?
2. What were the consequences of speaking so poorly?
3. Read James 3:9. Why is God displeased when we allow both blessings and curses to come from our mouths?
Photo: Courtesy of tompagenet (Flickr)
oh, Andrea, i grieve with you. as James said, whoever doesn’t sin in his words is a perfect man and able to control his whole body. i say careless words so often. most recently the Lord has been showing me how prone i am to being wise in my own eyes, and, yes, it shows all over my conversation. the other thing is conjecturing about other people, especially their motives. whether i estimate that their motives are better or worse than they are, i can’t know unless they reveal their motives to me. i know so little. thankfully, the Lord gives us deliverance from the heart-thoughts that are the fountain of foolish or hurtful words, and can fill our hearts with thoughts of goodness and truth, which then become messages of mercy and righteousness. God bless you, dear sister.
Great points Tammie…it’s true that out of the heart, the mouth speaks. I’m also grateful for God’s mercy and forgiveness.
Thank you for wonderful comment. As usual, you’ve encouraged me!
Yikes… I stand convicted.
Your questions:
1. Tonight!
2. I felt badly afterward.
3. How can good water and bad water flow from the same spring? It can’t.
Thanks for holding us acountable Andrea. A wonderful post. :~D
Glad you enjoyed reading e-mom:)
Oh me and my mouth! What a beautiful and encouraging post for an area that for me constantly needs work. What better way to stive for words that give grace than to stay in God’s Word. Wondeful verses you shared, and yes, I will take the challenge!
Oh good! I’m glad I won’t be alone in my study this week. Thank you for stopping by!