Taming Your Tongue

          It has been a year since meeting Tara Thomas. She is one of my best friends for many reasons. One thing that I admire about Tara are her morals. The most astounding thing about her is that she has yet to use a bad word in front of me. From dead car batteries, wrecking a new vehicle or criticism of her hairstyle on the news she will not stoop to using a bad word. How can a busy career woman, mother and wife not get flustered and use a bad word once in awhile? If you know Tara you know she loves to talk, yet all that talking and no cursing ever. This is something that I have found so rewarding in my life.

 

          Growing up in a neighborhood of all boys I developed a little bit of a potty mouth. Unfortunately, it hasn't been completely potty trained. Although I have become much better at choosing my words and searching a word bank in my head before I speak, sometimes things still slip out. I truly hate to admit this but football season doesn't help the matter. I have tried to make New Year's resolutions about cursing but they haven't worked. However, I believe being around someone like Tara is rewarding in the fact that I treasure her vocabulary. It excites me to challenge myself when I really want something. So I have made it a priority to work on my words.

 

          Over the summer I did a Bible study called, "Conversation Peace--The Power of Transformed Speech." This is definitely a study I need to not only revisit but make a focus in my life. It touches on a number of situations in which we converse such as gossiping, connecting with others, sticking your foot in your mouth, etc. To help me in the process of perfecting my words I have decided to keep this book on my nightstand every night until my goal is accomplished. Even though I'll continue to be sarcastic, witty and funny my choice words are going to come from a more proper and classy dictionary. Before I was a Christian I didn't hold myself to any standards when I spoke nor did I feel accountable to anybody. Now I am constantly wanting to be a better person and perfect myself the way God wants me to be. This is what I love about being a Christian because I now know I truly do have someone to answer to and I want to make Him proud. It won't be perfect and I know I will stumble but trying is at least a beginning.

 

           On the back of my book there is a bulleted area and one of the bullets states: Strengthen Your Vocabulary with Words from the Word. Seriously, how awesome is that? It couldn't have been said any better. Why? Because John 1:1--In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. God speaks truth and truth is fact and reality, so I'm serious when I say it couldn't have been said any better.

Remind yourself this: Matthew 12:36-37

 

Pray for this: Psalms 141:3