When You’re Struggling to Control Your Tongue

Watch the way you talk. Let nothing foul or dirty come out of your mouth. Say only what helps, each word a gift. Ephesians 4:29 (MSG)

Sometimes I don’t speak nicely to people. 

I am short with them. Angry really. Normally it isn’t their fault. 

Maybe they will do something that will set me off but it’s my responsibility to control my temper, not theirs. 

I could make excuses for this short fuse. I could say things like, “My father occasionally acts the same way” or “I’ve seen my mother be short with people too.” 

I could try to excuse it by thinking, ‘Well, at least I don’t yell.’

The thing is I know that when I behave this way I don’t look a lot like Jesus. And that makes me sad.

Today, when I snapped it was at a person who I know is going through a rough time, a person who has a husband in hospital. A person I should be able to relate to, rather than be rude too.

On my drive home I kept thinking about how I behaved and what I could do to change. I remembered the phrase, “Each word a gift” and went hunting through my bible to see where I’d read it.

Ephesians 4:29 in The Message: “Watch the way you talk. Let nothing foul or dirty come out of your mouth. Say only what helps, each word a gift."

Each. Word. A. Gift.

Wow. 

When was the last time I viewed the words I speak as a gift? (tweet this)

When was the last time I thought about how every syllable I utter is a present for someone else, that every time I open my mouth it can sound like cheering someone else on?

I know how hard it is to do this in practice when I’m weary, stressed and wondering how I’ll make it through the rest of the day. I live in that reality too. I think in some way we all do but I want to remember this:

Say only what helps, each word a gift. (tweet this)

And I haven’t figured out how to go from blowing a fuse to speaking politely but I do know I’m going to be praying that God will help me to weigh each word and to remember that every time I open my mouth I can give someone a gift.

Ponder: What has helped you to control your tongue. I’d love you to share your tips in the comments. 

Prayer: Jesus, help me make each word a gift. (tweet this)

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- This was orginally published on my site in July 2014 to read more devotionals like this go to ilovedevotionals.com