Words worth a Penny??

If we say words without really meaning them, like when we say to the children "I told you to be quiet" but we don't guide or help them change to another activity, or we don't have them play somewheres else, and we repeat "I told you to be quiet" or "How many times do I have to tell you to be quiet?"....we are throwing words out and teaching them to not give weight or value to our words. Our words might as well be worth a cent each.



But if we use less words but make them count, we might get a whole different scenario. The carefully chosen words we speak might be worth a hundred dollars!!

I think that way with flattery, too. I know that for one of our daughters when she played on a worship team at our old church, people would say "You did really well today". But she didn't put much value in those words because it appeared that most of those people spewed those words out quite flippantly. However.....the music director wasn't so free with words of praise. So when she spoke them, our daughter knew that they were spoken sincerely. They held far greater value to her. They were the hundred dollars!

I charge myself to be more careful about the words I speak. That I don't say something I don't wholeheartedly believe or willing to put actions to my words immediately. May my words be well chosen and valuable.

Question for You: Nobody's perfect, but do you think you are doing pretty well in this area?

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James 1:26
If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is worthless.

Psalm 39:1
I said, I will take heed and guard my ways, that I may sin not with my tongue; I will muzzle my mouth as with a bridle while the wicked are before me.

James 3:
1Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.

3When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

7All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, 8but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

9With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. 10Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. 11Can both fresh water and salt[a] water flow from the same spring? 12My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

Romans 8: 1
Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.