Today’s Scripture: Numbers 12:1; Proverbs 18:8; Psalms 141:3-4
Have you ever tried to keep your complaints to yourself? It seems impossible, or at the very least, futile, doesn’t it? Criticism is like food—it’s meant to be shared, right? One person serves it while the other person enjoys the buffet of words. In fact, Solomon said, “The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man’s inmost parts.”
In this week’s story, Miriam dished it out and Aaron willingly entered her kitchen of criticism. One leader warned that we don’t have to say everything we know. May I add that we don’t have to express all our feelings either.
The world is negatively-charged, and the platform for sharing negativism enlarges almost daily. Venues like Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, and Periscope help people increase their listening audience from a few to potentially thousands. Someone who is careless or flippant with his words will find it impossible to retract once those comments have gone public.
The Psalmist asked the Lord to put a guard over his mouth. This might be a good request for us to make on a daily basis—just in case we’re tempted to say something we will long regret.
- How can you keep a lid on your emotions and a guard over your mouth?