Head: Know God's Word | Heart: Love God | Hands: Follow God's Way

Read Proverbs 21:23

“A person who is careful about what he says keeps himself out of trouble.” Proverbs 21:23(ICB)

Who needs a little wisdom about how to stay out of trouble? (I’m raising my hand!) I think this proverb gives us some really great advice. Let’s take a closer look at what it teaches us.

Head

This verse teaches us that our words are powerful! What we say can either build someone up or tear someone down. That’s why God tells us to guard our mouths. This means we should THINK before we speak.

If we speak in anger or say unkind things, we can hurt people’s feelings, and that almost always leads to arguments. And arguments usually lead to trouble! But when we are careful with our words, we can bring peace instead.

Heart

God wants our hearts to be full of love and patience, but that doesn’t happen automatically. We have to spend time with Him to learn how to act the right way. The more we read God’s Word and pray, the more we get to know Him and how He wants us to live. As we grow in our faith, God will begin to change our hearts and help us when we’re headed for trouble. We can ask Him to help us use our words to encourage others instead of hurting them.

Hands

When we are careful with something, we pay close attention to it. Let’s do the same with our words. Before you speak, think carefully about what you’re about to say. Ask yourself:

Is what I’m about to say: Kind? True? Helpful?

Here are a few ways you can put this into practice:

Give compliments and encourage others this week.

When someone upsets you, take a deep breath and think before speaking.

Ask God to help you show kindness instead of doing or saying something hurtful.

The next time you feel angry or upset, remember to PAUSE and PRAY before you speak. If you can learn to do this, you’ll save yourself a lot of trouble!

Prayer:

Dear God, thank You for giving us words! Please help us to use them wisely. Give us kind hearts and teach us to speak with love, even when we feel upset. May our words encourage others and bring joy. In Jesus’ name, Amen.