Calm your comments

This post is about a sin I have been known to fall into, on more than one occasion. Perhaps you too are guilty of spouting off at an acquaintance or a family member, sometimes without provocation. Sometimes, it’s because you demand, in a loud or cruel voice, to make your opinions heard. Sometimes I speak before thinking – making a harsh comment when a gentle one would have made the point without the animosity showing through.  

 

God’s Word says this – A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word sirs up anger. Like yesterday, this passage is again from Proverbs. For me the Book of Proverbs is such a wealth of advice, it’s hard to leave. Find this lesson in Chapter 15:1 (NKJV). While you’re there, consider reading the entire chapter.

 

The New Testament has much to say about the way we talk to one another. In the Book of James, the author devotes several verses to “Taming the tongue.” Chapter 3:8-10 (NIV) admonishes all of us to calm our comments to others, “⁹ With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. ¹⁰Out of the same mouth came praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. 

 

Paul calls on an Old Testament passage to make a point about the waywardness of the tongue. In Romans 3:13, the Apostle of Christ quotes, in part, Psalm 5:9 “Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit,” and Psalm 140:3 “The poison of vipers is on their lips.” These verses are just two Paul references when writing that no one is righteous.

How about it? Are you guilty of talking before you speak? Are you guilty of voicing harsh words when kind ones would work so much better? My granddaddy always used to say – “Cheryl Ann, you can catch more flies with honey than vinegar.” He was so right; not that I am in the business of catching flies, but the metaphor stands as written, echoing Proverbs 15:1.

 

Why not come along with me in my journey to fully relying on God, by following his advice here and in many other biblical passages. As with yesterday’s post, this one, if you follow its advice, is bound to make you feel happier and will ultimately serve to make others feel happy as well.

 

Maybe together we can strive for a pleasant, God-fearing, Bible-adhering attitude, one person at a time, one day at a time. How about it? Are you game? I hope so.

 

A careless word may kindle strife,

A cruel word may wreck a life;

A timely word may lessen stress,

A living word may heal and bless.  – Anon.

 

To end today’s post I depart from my regular closing, borrowing an appropriate prayer from Our Daily Bread’s David McCasland – Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love. AMEN!                                                        

Be Happy

In the new year, I have decided to adopt a positive attitude in all aspects of my life. Seems to me that by doing so, it will be easier to adopt God’s plan, and to be a true follower of His way.

Proverbs, most of which was written by King Solomon, the wisest monarch to ever rule Israel, writes in Chapter 15, Verse 13 (NIV) A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit.

Now I know everyone prefers a happy heart and I also know it’s better to walk around with a smile on your face rather than a frown, but the big question is how to accomplish “happy.” Who wants a crushed spirit anyway? Certainly not me, and I am pretty sure you would agree.

In my 63+ years, I have found happiness is definitely a state of mind adopted with considerable effort on some days, less on others.

If I begin my day in God’s Word, it seems the day starts off on the right foot and stays there. Writing this blog requires that I focus on God and his authoritative Word every morning – first thing.

To be honest, I never thought of studying God’s Word as an avenue to happiness, but in this, only the third day of my Retreat to Belief adventure, I have found that His Word just may be the key to the ultimate form of happiness – surrender to Him.

Make His plans for you, your plans for you. I sincerely believe that finding true happiness starts in the Bible and stays there as we follow its precepts. As I searched my Bible this morning I came across a verse that certifies my assumption. Again it’s Proverbs - Proverbs 16:20 (NKJV) to be exact, He who heeds the word wisely will find good, And whoever trusts in the Lord, happy is he.

I always end my day in the Bible too. For more than 40 years I have gone to sleep with words of wisdom from the Our Daily Bread devotional. Several years ago (and I don’t remember when) I took a page out of the January booklet, the title – How to be Happy. Richard De Haan, a member of the RBC Ministries founding family, offers these Ten Rules for Happier Living:

            1.     Give something away.

2.     Do a kindness

3.     Give thanks always.

4.     Work with vim and vigor.

5.     Visit the elderly and learn from their experience.

6.     Look intently into the face of a baby and marvel.

7.     Laugh often – it’s life’s lubricant.

8.     Pray to know God’s way.

9.     Plan as though you will live forever – you will.

10.  Live as though today is your last day on earth.

Read your Bible. Pray often. Give thanks. Be happy in Him.

And, may God bless each and every one of you every day in every way. Amen.