This post could make me famous! It is entirely possible that I could change the world with the information I am about to share. Disclaimer: There is nothing new under the sun. I did not come up with this incredible information, however, I discovered it during my study this morning and in the interest of preserving marriages and relationships everywhere I want to share this insight.
I have been married to my incredible wife for 18 years. There is no question that she was an undeserved gift from a merciful God. If you can imagine, we have had some difficult times along the way. We did our pre-marital counseling in our 4th year of marriage and because of that, stayed married. One of the hardest things for us to overcome was our inability to effectively communicate with each other. I wanted her to hear me out and see things my way and she wanted me to hear her out and see things her way. That is the tendency of humans. The world tells us that it is all about I, Me, My. I rediscovered some things in the book of Proverbs this morning that spoke to my heart.
Proverbs 18:2 says that "A fool takes no pleasure in understanding but only in expressing his (or her) opinion" See, if we are going to communicate effectively, there must be more than one person involved. I am so guilty of thinking my way of thinking is paramount. This is a prideful and selfish way to be. Next we see Proverbs 18:6- "A fool's lips walk into a fight and his (or her) mouth invites a beating". It is amazing to consider the amount of damage and destruction we can do with our tongue. Wouldn't we (speaking to myself) be better off taking a moment to calm our emotions and submit what we are feeling to God before we turn loose of the weapon which is our tongue? See, Proverbs 18:10 gives us an out- "The name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous run into it and are saved" This principle applies to all relationships. Relationships with spouses, parents, friends, family, are all gifts to be treasured. Let's be slow to speak and quick to run into that strong tower.
My challenge to you is to take an inventory of how often you are using your mouth as a weapon of destruction versus a tool of love and encouragement. Be blessed.
Waiting on Him,
ML
