“Guard your Words”

When we get angry, we have probably said some things that we later regret saying. If we are honest, we all have probably done that at one time or another (my hand is up). The problem is once those words are out you can’t bring them back. In the book of James, it talks about the tongue and how it is full of deadly poison.

James 3:8 (NIV)

8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

Your words can also be used to calm a situation. In Proverbs it talks about how we should speak to someone. A gentle response turns away wrath opposed to harsh words. It takes a lot of self-control to guard our tongues, but it is possible. This is where it is vital to be walking in fellowship with God. With the Lords help we can control our tongues.

Proverbs 15:1 (NIV)

A gentle answer turns away wrath; but a harsh word stirs up anger.

Being around small grandkids, you see this verse lived out in real life. A gentle tone in your words works wonders in dealing with small grandchildren. We need to practice this same thing when dealing with adults. A good practice to always guard our tongues. It isn’t always easy, but it will work wonders in keeping your relationships nurtured.

Message in Chinese

谨慎言语

当我们生气时，往往会说出一些事后感到后悔的话。若我们诚实一点，其实每个人都曾有过这样的经历（我自己也是）。问题在于，一旦那些话说出口，就无法收回。在《雅各书》中，提到舌头乃是“满了害死人的毒气”。

雅各书 3:8（和合本）惟独舌头没有人能制伏，是不止息的恶物，满了害死人的毒气。

言语也可以用来平息冲突。《箴言》告诉我们该如何与人说话：温柔的回答使怒气消退，相反，激烈的言语只会激起更多愤怒。要谨慎控制自己的舌头需要极大的自制力，但这是可以做到的。这也是为什么与神同行如此重要——有主的帮助，我们才能控制自己的言语。

箴言 15:1（和合本）回答柔和，使怒消退；言语暴戾，触动怒气。

当我们和小孙子孙女在一起时，这节经文几乎是活生生的写照。对他们说话时，温柔的语气常常能产生奇妙的效果。同样的原则也适用于与成人相处。一个良好的习惯就是——时时谨守自己的言语。虽然并不容易，但若能做到，必能让人际关系更加稳固、充满爱与理解。

Guard your Words