Wholesome words?
While on vacation in Florida last winter, my husband and I missed the turn to get to our hotel and became snarled in rush hour traffic in Orlando. I joked, melodramatically, “This traffic is so bad I’m just gonna die. Die, die, die!” My 15 month old daughter exclaimed from the backseat, “Die, die, die!” Immediately, I slapped my hand over my mouth.
My daughter is now almost two years old, and I warn everyone who comes into our house, “Be careful what you say – she repeats everything.” And, while “Hannah is a smart cookie” may sound cute coming from her mouth, many other phrases do not. An unusually verbal toddler has revealed to me the potential beauty or ugliness of the tongue. Do certain expressions genuinely sound worse coming from my toddler than they sound coming from me?
I remember another incident a few summers ago. A friend and I enjoyed picking blueberries at a local farm. While generously filling two buckets with the best berries we could find, we chatted about our childhood and our experiences in college. Though we talked about some difficult situations, both of us avoided complaining or gossiping, and we shared how God had worked in our lives. As we walked into the store to pay for our berries, an older lady stopped us. She apologized for eavesdropping but said that our conversation had blessed her and she thanked God for people like us. I smiled, a bit embarrassed, and shook her hand. A few minutes later, I stopped to think. What if I had spoken bitterly about my past instead of sharing how God had helped me to grow in the midst of my struggles? If I had mentioned my faith in God then, what would this woman have thought of Him?
Ephesians 4:29 says, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” Do my words truly build others up? Unfortunately, many times they do not. So, now I ask myself, “What if my daughter repeated my words? Would I feel embarrassed or pleased?” If I would feel embarrassed, then I must carefully consider how they sound when I speak them, and if my words will benefit those who listen.
My daughter is now almost two years old, and I warn everyone who comes into our house, “Be careful what you say – she repeats everything.” And, while “Hannah is a smart cookie” may sound cute coming from her mouth, many other phrases do not. An unusually verbal toddler has revealed to me the potential beauty or ugliness of the tongue. Do certain expressions genuinely sound worse coming from my toddler than they sound coming from me?
I remember another incident a few summers ago. A friend and I enjoyed picking blueberries at a local farm. While generously filling two buckets with the best berries we could find, we chatted about our childhood and our experiences in college. Though we talked about some difficult situations, both of us avoided complaining or gossiping, and we shared how God had worked in our lives. As we walked into the store to pay for our berries, an older lady stopped us. She apologized for eavesdropping but said that our conversation had blessed her and she thanked God for people like us. I smiled, a bit embarrassed, and shook her hand. A few minutes later, I stopped to think. What if I had spoken bitterly about my past instead of sharing how God had helped me to grow in the midst of my struggles? If I had mentioned my faith in God then, what would this woman have thought of Him?
Ephesians 4:29 says, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” Do my words truly build others up? Unfortunately, many times they do not. So, now I ask myself, “What if my daughter repeated my words? Would I feel embarrassed or pleased?” If I would feel embarrassed, then I must carefully consider how they sound when I speak them, and if my words will benefit those who listen.
posted by Keeper of the Zoo | 10:20 AM
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