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Word Accountability
Much of what I write about is usually inspired by my life, my current experiences, the interaction I have with other people, things I observe, and, oh by the way, what life, as a parent is teaching me! Currently, one of the valuable lessons my wife and I are attempting to teach our youngest child (don’t want to mention any names on here), is that we all need to be accountable with our words.
“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me!”
Remember that old saying? Clearly, if you survived childhood, adolescence, and being a teenager, by now, you and I both know, that this saying is one of the greatest lies in the history of mankind! The truth is, words can and do have the power to hurt. Check out what Proverbs 18:18 (NLT) The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences.
Friends, we’ve all felt the sharp, jagged edge, of scathing words that pierced our hearts. We’ve also been the recipients of words that have been kind, beautiful, encouraging, and even uplifting. My message to you is simple today, let’s be accountable with our words. We must be responsible with the words that proceed from out of our mouths. We must take ownership!
The lesson we’re trying to teach our 9 year old is: every word that comes from your mouth, you’re accountable for. In other words, you can’t just say anything you want, and there not be any consequences. I really don’t think it’s just our 9 year old that faces this challenge. It’s just that at 9, she has the opportunity to learn from her mistakes and make the necessary corrections and adjustments. However, it’s a different story if you’re 39, or 79! Trust me, it’s never too late to make a course correction. Perhaps we just need to become aware of the reality, that the words which we speak, we are accountable and responsible for.
I recently made the observation, that we can’t fix the problem, until we first identify the problem. And, if you have a problem with controlling your tongue, welcome to the club! It’s a rather exclusive club to be in. Kings, Presidents, World Leaders, Pastors, Teachers, Saints and Sinners alike are all members. So, if we all begin to assume accountability for our words, then perhaps we’ll cease from hurting others.
In conclusion, let’s consider Psalms 19:14 (KJV) Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer. Truly this is an appropriate prayer to pray. What if, every word that came out of our mouths would truly be acceptable in the eyes of the Lord? This…ladies and gentlemen is the goal. I wish you luck. Godspeed. And I pray for an eventual cease fire.
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