Learning to speak

Challenge Day: 52

It was a beautiful sunny day and I thought it would be a nice to take the boys to park to ride their bikes. The park was full of people enjoying a walk, a picnic, or simply being out after a long Winter. Towards the end of the bike ride my oldest, who is 6, decide that it would be funny to start yelling, "Help I'm being kidnapped!"

At that exact moment I was holding on to his bike because he was having trouble peddling, so it looked like I was trying to take him. Some of the people around began to stare at me. I had to tell him to stop saying that and that it wasn't funny. I continued to playfully talk to the kids and encourage them on their bike riding until we got to the car. Needless to say, I had a long talk with him on the way home about making false statements. It turned out he really didn't know what he was saying and that he had learned it from a movie. He now knows what it means and when to truly say it.

In Stormie Omartian's book The Power of the Praying Parent, she has chapter on this topic, Learning to Speak Life. She tells the story of the day she heard her son say a couple of bad words. She told him that language was unacceptable. She said that everyone has the right to speak as they please, but she wanted him to decide whether his words were going to grieve God or glorify him. The choice of words we chose to speak goes beyond just curse words. Words can negatively of positively impact someones life. Hurtful words can damage someone.

My son didn't go to the extenet of using bad words, but his outburst teaches a lesson on what you say. You know the saying, "sticks and stones may break my bones, but words don't hurt?" Whoever made that up was a liar, because words do hurt. Reality is broken bones heal, but a soul broken by words may never heal. The things we say to someone today can stick with them throughout their entire life. Now that I am a mom it's important for me to fill my kids lives with positive words and reinforcement about who they are. What you say to your kids and how you speak to them will stay with them for many years to come. I want my kids to be kind and loving and learn to speak words that glorify God and uplift others.

The Bible gives wise guidence about being careful with your mouth. Here are some verses that I read and found very profound.

He who guards his mouth preserves his life, but he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction.

Proverbs 13:3

Whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles.

Proverbs 21:23

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.

Proverbs 18:21

Pleasant words are like honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.

Proverbs 16:24

There is one who speaks like the piercing of a sword, but the tongue of the wise promotes health.

Proverbs 12:18

But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgement. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.

Matthew 12:36-37