WORDS

hurt

heal

inform

affirm

express

 

Father,

lead my thoughts before a word ever leaves my lips

 

temper my tongue

 

for your glory

and for Your Name

 

Show me what righteous anger looks like

and what is mere bitterness

and selfishness

and pride

 

Silence the words

that I’m tempted to say

that shouldn’t be said

 

Teach me to listen

and  hear

and respond

from Your heart

 

Lead on, Lord,

and go before

so that the attitude of my heart

and the words of my mouth

show the light

You have brought to my soul

– Susie Stewart

 

My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,  because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.

– James 1:19,20 (NIV)

 

Understand this, my beloved brothers and sisters. Let everyone be quick to hear [be a careful, thoughtful listener], slow to speak [a speaker of carefully chosen words and], slow to anger [patient, reflective, forgiving]; for the [resentful, deep-seated] anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God [that standard of behavior which He requires from us].

– James 1:19 (AMP)

 

Post this at all the intersections, dear friends: Lead with your ears, follow up with your tongue, and let anger straggle along in the rear. God’s righteousness doesn’t grow from human anger. So throw all spoiled virtue and cancerous evil in the garbage. In simple humility, let our gardener, God, landscape you with the Word, making a salvation-garden of your life.

– James 1:18-20 (MSG)

 

When you are angry, don’t let it carry you into sin. Don’t let the sun set with anger in your heart or give the devil room to work.

– Ephesians 4:26,27 (VOIVE)

 

Pleasant words are like honey from a honeycomb— sweet to the spirit and healthy for the body.

– Proverbs 16:24 (GW)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart