What Do You Have To Say For Yourself?

Psalm 39:1
1I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me.

If I had to tell you the one thing that has caused me the most problems, it would be my mouth! Yes, I have a big one! It it so big that once in a while I can stick my whole foot in it! Most of the time my mouth has a mind of it's own! It can spout off with the most insane things, when I least expect it!

About the time I think I have made great progress in taming my actions, my thoughts, my deeds, my mouth will build up a load of foul verbiage that is more than ready to fly out, doing all kinds of damage to others and to the cause of Christ. It is my mouth that does the most damage!

I believe the Psalmist must have been struggling in this very area, let's look at what he says!

I said, I will take heed to my ways,

It is a good thing when we take inventory of our whole life. We need to evaluate in an honest way every aspect of our life. We should check it against the revealed Word of God, and make the changes that is revealed to us! Most people want to correct other people, for the wrongs they display. If we are honest we would realize how quick we are to correct others, but fail to correct ourselves! Shame on us!

As a Christian, we are reminded over and over again, that we need to get the things in out life straight with God, before we judge others. This is a good word! We should take heed to our own ways!

That I sin not with my tongue:

I remember the little ditty we used to say as a young kid; "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names (words) shall never harm me!" This is an outright lie! The most damaging things are not the bones that are broken, or the bruises we get in daily contacts, it is the cutting words that in the heat of the moment are spoken or yelled in a fit of rage.

The damage done by words leave deep scars not seen by the eye, but are deep inside, weeping and festering. These words are always in the mind and heart eating away at the soul, causing much damage sometimes never to be repaired!

I know that I have caused much hurt and have scared the closest loved ones with my mouth. I have spewed caustic words at a loved one, only to see the instant damage in their countenance. We should determine, that we will not knowingly sin, with such a slimy organ... our mouth!

I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me.

A bridle, just a small piece of metal when placed in the mouth of a horse can mean the difference a wild ride or a ride that is pleasurable. One way to keep our mouth is to stick an ink pen in it so it makes us think about what might come out if it were not there. I believe if when we are tempted to lash out in verbal warfare if we would stick an object in our mouth to gag it, less damage would be done.

Christians must keep their mouth as pure as possible, you never know when God will bring someone that needs the blessings that a holy mouth can bring! Because the wicked is always before us, we need to be prepared to use this vile little organ, call mouth for the good of mankind, and to bring the message of salvation of the Lord Jesus Christ!

We would do well to put a watch on the things that could come out of our mouth! We need to surrender the capabilities of our mouth to be used by God to speak salvation to the wicked!

What do you have to say for yourself?