Wednesday; October 19

One of the more common emotional analogies is the call for us to look at ourselves in the mirror. When this is used, the end goal is not to see if we have mustard on our chin, rather it is to take a look at how we live – kind of a self-assessment of our lifestyle. I believe a periodic peek at our lives is important, but there is something that may be as equally revealing. When was the last time we listened to ourselves talk? Imagine a recording device capturing not only the words we use, but our tone of voice. What would it tell us about our speech – but more importantly, what would it tell us about our attitudes? Are we using vain or profane phrases? Are we spewing forth disparaging words or hateful speech? Do we sound down or disheartened? Are we too slow to respond or two quick with a sharp retort? Our brains are amazing devices that can record not only what others say to us, but also how we react or respond to them. Let’s take the time to review of our conversations and see if we are living the way we should be living by saying the things we should be saying.

The Apostle Paul set a pretty good standard for our speech when he challenged, “Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.” (Colossians 4:6). Is that how we sound – not only to others, but as we emotionally record ourselves?

What do we sound like these days? Is our speech tinged with bitterness, vulgarity or even hatred? We have the choice of responses – let’s make the best one.

Think About It!

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