“Watch your words and hold your tongue; you’ll save yourself a lot of grief.” Proverbs 21:23 MSG
We have all been misunderstood. We get frustrated by wrong judgments and decisions that are based on wrong information. Yet often, it’s these moments that are some of our most defining, not because of what was said, but because of our response. I was told a few days ago I drive like a “moron” because I stuck to the speed limit. I was tempted to waste my time with a response, but I refrained.
Jesus never wasted words on worthless arguments. When his disciples were rejected, he told them to stay silent and move on. Jesus taught them how to save the fight for what matters and leave conversations that will never further His kingdom. The hardest time to be quiet is when you have every reason to have your say. But think of it this way; will my response heal or hurt this situation? Will it make the situation better? Who’s in charge of my response right now, my anger or my faith?
As hard as it can be, sometimes the best response is no response. Just let it go. Trust God instead of stress. SAVE YOUR WORDS FOR THOSE WHO WILL HEAR YOUR HEART AND SEE WHAT’S TRUE. Don’t allow a wrong judgement to drive you to justify yourself. Instead, continue to be a blessing. Show kindness, be gracious, forgive, respect others and LOVE LIKE NOBODY IS WATCHING. And remember…you can trust His word, no matter what…
When He says to watch your tongue…He knows it’s best for you! He loves you too much to let you go down that road of grief!
(Additional Scriptures: Proverbs 13:3, Proverbs 17:27-28, Proverbs 12:13, James 1:26, Proverbs 10:19, Proverbs 18:21, James 3:2-13)
Melissa Lapensee
I feel as if God is speaking directly to me about an issue that has been taking up too much space in my mind the past few days. Thank you so much for these wise words.
Samantha
I like questions to ask myself! It creates a pause before my mind jumps to its assumptions. Does this hurt or heal? So good Pastor Andreas