Morning Devotional

April 27, 2004

"Honey or Vinegar"

by Don Emmitte

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O LORD, rescue me from evil people. Preserve me from those who are violent, those who plot evil in their hearts and stir up trouble all day long. Their tongues sting like a snake; the poison of a viper drips from their lips. (Psalm 140:1-3 NLT).

Did you know that sometimes words could hurt just as much, if not more, than a physical blow to the body? That's right, for words spoken in anger, frustration, hatred, and jealousy have the capacity to cut deeply.

Sometimes, in the heat of the moment, we say something we don't really mean, but once it has left our lips, it is too late, and the damage has been done, unless forgiveness is immediately sought. We are all guilty of speaking unkindly or thoughtlessly at one time or another, but the way to make sure these times are few and far between with the goal of not again occurring, is practicing patience and love.

Just as a vipers tongue can be so quick it is barely visible to the human eye, we must practice thinking before we speak, rather than speaking then thinking and often regretting. In order to do this we need patience; that unseen force which allows us to wait without becoming upset. Then, once in that holding pattern, we have better opportunity to think about what is the best way to respond to the matter at hand using wisdom, discretion and love, rather than anger or hate. When I refer to "best way," I am of course referring to the wisest way: God's way.

At the risk of using a worn and perhaps corny expression, I ask myself, "What would Jesus do?" In conversation with another individual it would then translate to be, "What would Jesus say?" Not one of us is perfect as we all have sinned in our lifetime, but this does not mean we still cannot reach for higher levels of godliness even by keeping watch on the purity of our speech. On a windswept hill in an English country churchyard stands a drab, gray slate tombstone. The quaint stone bears an epitaph not easily seen unless you stoop over and look closely. The faint etchings read:

Beneath this stone, a lump of clay,
lies Arabella Young,
Who on the twenty-fourth of May,
began to hold her tongue.

Will our words hold the bitterness of vinegar, or will they be sweetness to our soul? Today, won't you consider if your words will be like honey or vinegar?