Speak Up

There have been many times when I wanted to say something but didn’t or felt like I couldn’t. There have also been times when I said something that would have been better left unsaid.  Knowing when to speak and when to keep quiet is a function of wisdom and discernment. These two characteristics sometimes fail me and I say something that I regret because of the pain it inflicts on others. Proverbs speaks a lot to this. Check this out….

 4 Spoken words can be like deep water,

       but wisdom is like a flowing stream.

6 The words of fools start quarrels.

       They make people want to beat them.

 7 The words of fools will ruin them;

       their own words will trap them.

 8 The words of a gossip are like tasty bits of food.

       People like to gobble them up.

 20 People will be rewarded for what they say;

       they will be rewarded by how they speak.

 21 What you say can mean life or death.

       Those who speak with care will be rewarded.  (Proverbs 18:4,6-8;20-21 NCV)

 Words have so much power, I would be wise to choose them carefully. James said that life and death are in the power of the tongue. I need to choose my words carefully and make sure they are the right words for the right time. I can encourage and speak life giving words when they come from a  heart shaped by God.

 Pressing On!

Dwayne