Psalm 141:3 (NRSV) Set a watch before my mouth, O LORD, and guard the door of my lips; let not my heart incline to any evil thing.
How easy it is to say something I will later regret. Often I mean well, but the words come out wrong. Sometimes I am plain old spiteful or mean-spirited. Either way, I am sorry for what I said.
Today the psalmist would probably add thumb to mouth and lips. With email, texting, Twitter, and other social media, I don’t have to open my mouth to put my foot in it. I can use my thumbs to dash off a comment. It’s easier but no less hurtful.
The story goes that Abraham Lincoln would pen a letter to someone he was upset with on the day of the disagreement. He would put the letter in his desk drawer and look at it the next day to see if it still warranted sending.
A guideline for many of my training classes was: Bring back “count to ten.” Take a moment to consider the impact of what you are about to say (or type). All of us need to think before we talk or hit send, and it might help to ask God to bless the communication. If it is not something we think God would bless, well…
Join more than a half million readers worldwide who use Forward Day by Day as a resource for daily prayer and Bible study.
No comments:
Post a Comment