Sometimes It's Best To Just Shut Up

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouth but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 

Ephesians 4:29

When I was a little child I can recall how often my father would instruct me to think before I speak… Even though I never really paid any mind to his instructions, today I have come to know and understand exactly what he meant… Words are powerful, and the things that we speak can produce seeds of abundance or failure in one’s life; this is why James writes in the 3^rd chapter of his book about the importance of taming our tongue… Your tongue has the ability to transform lives or tear them down, your tongue has the ability to reap corruption or alter the atmosphere; because of the power that lies in its use, we are reminded today that we must not let any unwholesome talk come out of our mouth… When I read this passage there are two points that jump out to me; either you think before you speak or you need to just learn to shut up… Through today's devotion, we learn the importance of controlling our tempers and not allowing any crack or crevice to be created so that the enemy can manipulate his way into our lives and situations through a bit of anger within us… 

There are many verses in the bible that deal with anger; however, to become angry is not a sin… Proverbs 29:11 says, “A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control.” You can and will become angry (even Jesus became angry), but the key is not allowing your anger to be vented and the easiest way to keep this from happening is controlling the things that come out of your mouth… Paul writes to the church of Ephesus today and instructs them about how to conduct themselves in their relationships with other people… All of us have a boiling point, a height of anger or rage in which we will lose our minds and can become careless with the things that are spoken out of our mouths!  While we can be pushed to our breaking point, we are also called as children of God to model Christ, this means we must strive to handle situations in the same manner he did... The Bible says that when Jesus was on trial He remained silent, when people hurled insults He remained focused on the goal at hand and was able to not only complete His task but also bring glory to His father… We don’t stoop to other people's level because all it does it keep us from reaching the level God wants us to get to… People are watching you, they are observing your walk and how you handle various situations, show them the God in you and not the side of you that is still a work in progress… Bottom line, think before you speak, and if that doesn’t work, just shut up…

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!