Be Careful Little Mouth What You Say

Day 219 of Photo Inspirations — Be Careful Little Mouth What You Say
Yesterday, I was so inspired by a FB post that I knew it would be my post for today.  Here’s the story:
A middle school teacher handed out different products and asked the students to squeeze out all of the contents. Once everything was out of each containers, the teacher asked the students to put the contents back into the containers. As hard as the students tried, they just couldn’t do it. The teacher said “In the moment, you were so consumed with what you were doing that you didn’t realize the mess you were making. Then, after it was so quickly and easily poured out, you realized it was impossible to put it all back in. Remember this for the rest of your lives when it comes to words that come out of your mouth.”

We’ve all been there….some fast-acting, split-second, STUPID words came out of our mouths…..and we knew it was too late to take them back.  The damage was done.  Oh how we wished our brain had engaged before our mouths did.  I remember a sweet, but powerful little Sunday School Song “Be careful little mouth what you say….”  How often do we let unnecessary words slip out and we think “What made me say that?”

I wasn’t always “the talker” that I am today.  My husband was “the talker”. He could “fire-hose” his audience, whether the audience was one or one thousand.  He was so knowledgeable…..and he could give that knowledge out in boatloads.  But, I think he left his talking “mantle” to me — with a double portion.  I, apologetically, tell friends “Bear with me. My daily allotment of 250,000 words is not all used for today, so I’m unloading on you.”  LOL!   So with all that talking that I’m capable of, I have to be on HIGH ALERT for the potential to say something unnecessary.

Proverbs 21:23 says “Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble.”  And, Psalm 141:3 says “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!”  I really do purposely pray for God to put a gate on my mouth.  I pray “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, oh Lord.”  Psalm 19:13.  

Perhaps this Middle School teacher’s story was meant for those kids AND for  us today.  Perhaps God wants to spare us, and others, from potential hurt and pain before unkind or unnecessary words slip out.  Perhaps He wants to provide “damage control” angels at our Mouth Gates.  Perhaps it’s time we sing that little Sunday School song as a prayer “Be careful little mouth what you say.”