We are reminded through God's word to speak in kindness, even when it seems as though the one receiving our words do not deserve it. We should not speak rough or brazen. We should speak with tactfulness.
Colossians 4:6: "Let your words always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should answer each person."
Proverbs 12:18: "Thoughtless speech is like the stabs of a sword,
But the tongue of the wise is a healing."
Easy or difficult? This is an area that is always difficult for me. My speech continuously needs work, and my tongue continuously needs to be tamed. A work in progress, but definitely not in a work in vain. (James 3: 8-10)
It seems to be more difficult when we are stressed, angry, or hurt. Yet, despite what we are going through, this is something we need to learn. From his word, we can catch a glimpse of some of the characteristics of our loving Creator, and we should strive to mirror those good qualities within ourselves.
Exodus 34:6: "Jehovah was passing before him and declaring: “Jehovah, Jehovah, a God merciful and compassionate, slow to anger and abundant in loyal love and truth,"
Remember that everything Jehovah teaches ultimately benefits us. It guides us, teaches us, refines us...and turns out well for us (Isaiah 48:17-18). Jesus was sent to be our model, and to show us that it is possible for us to change our ways and keep moving forward, making improvements in ourselves and in our lives. We can also, in turn, help to change the lives of others. Our speech and conduct play a tremendous part in this, so it is important to heed the words of our Great Teacher. We should cultivate the compassion, the love, the mercy, and definitely the "slow to anger", that our Father has shown for us and what was modeled to us by Jesus.
That being said, may we continue to strive to walk in Jesus's footsteps closely, to the glory of our Father, our Grand Creator, who definitely deserves such glory! (1 Peter 2:21; Rev. 4:11)
A personal challenge: Try to practice this today! Pray to Jehovah to place these qualities into your heart, so that you can develop the ability to follow his word. Tame your tongue when you know you're about to say something brash or hurtful. Calm down and find a kind way to respond. See what happens. See if it dampens the fire (and if it doesn't this time around, you can at least feel the joy inside that you conducted yourself appropriately). Speak with compassion and love even when you are hurting inside. That's rough! Yes, it is! But it is good practice, good training, and comes from the one who knows best.
Test his word out and allow him to bless you.* Test his word out and allow it to change your life, and then you can help to change another's. Keep in mind that really, in the end, it shouldn't be about us. It should about the love we show for each other and for our God. Therefore, it takes humbleness and humility to do this, and those are qualities we must develop in order to be in good standing with our Father.
*Malachi 3:10: Bring the entire tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in my house; and test me out, please, in this regard,” Jehovah of armies says, “to see whether I will not open to you the floodgates of the heavens and pour out on you a blessing until there is nothing lacking.”
Jehovah clearly blesses those who give spiritually. Would he not bless for your obedience to his word? Go ahead, challenge yourself today, and see how your life is blessed, and how you can positively extend those blessings to others in your life.
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