Proverbs 21:23, "He who watches over his mouth and his tongue keeps his soul from troubles."

Think

Speech Therapy Watching out for what we say is great therapy, not just for ourselves, but for others as well. Poorly chosen phrases can cause a ripple effect that leads down a problematic path. God wants us to live in harmony with each other, but dissonance will rear its ugly head in a matter of seconds following a careless word. That's why we need to take great caution to guard our mouths to keep us from instigating a crisis within critical communication. The children's nursery rhyme that says "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me" is as wrong as it can be. Words sting when nasty negatives come hurling out of our mouths. Therefore, the Bible reminds us to be "slow to speak," which means we should watch what we say before we say it. With carefully guarded words, not only will others be shielded from trouble, we will too. Once again, God's Word saves the day by saving us from potential problems with great speech therapy.

Act

Start today by taking a quick timeout before talking. Briefly think through what you say and how you are going to say it as you connect with people today. Remember that our words have a big impact. So, before you speak, try adding discernment to your delivery.

Pray

God, I want my communication to be pleasing to you as well as others. Give me the words to say that will make a difference in other people's lives. And today use my voice to encourage others because I want to have a positive impact that lifts them up instead of bringing them down. In Jesus' name, Amen.