Lately everyone has been talking about his or her First Amendment rights.
On the news recently there has been lots of talk about our First Amendment rights. I as a very opinioned person appreciate my right to say what ever I want.
When I had children however I realized there was another
right in the Bill of Rights that I appreciated even more. What right you may
ask is more important than our right to free speech?
The Right to be silence
The right to be silent is my most precious right. I have
spent much time and energy teaching my children to exercise their right to be
silent.
Can you imagine the self-control and the struggle to
maintain our silence?
Here is a simple list
of why I have come to value my right to be silence.
1.
On judgment day I will have to give an
accounting of every careless word I have spoken. On reading that I started
think more about my words. Was I speaking carelessly or were my words thoughtful?
2.
In my effort to take
up my cross and follow Christ was I engaging in behavior that was making me
more ungodly? Was I by not monitoring speech slipping into ungodly behavior?
3.
I had used this for years with my children but as I was disciplining them
I kept hearing my inability to build them up. In my hurry to correct their
behavior my words were not building them up. It took me a while to learn that
how I corrected my children mattered more to God than how quickly I
accomplished the correction. When my children needed discipline, I explained my
desire to build them up and my need for time to find just the right words. A
simple time out where they thought about their actions and I choose my words
was much more effective.
4.
Another scripture I
took to heart with my children and husband especially was Ecclesiastes 3:7. We
get not only to choose our words but the time, place and circumstances under
which we speak. Some things should be said in private and just because we think
it does not mean we should say it. After all, we are commanded to take every
thought captive.
5.
6.
I did a lot of sitting and thinking on this one
when I first read it. It is one of those wow scriptures. Every time I speak, I
am speaking before God, Okay! Every conversation, every word is before GOD. He
is in heaven and I am on earth, He is greater than me. God created me, when my
words harm or disrespect others I am ultimately disrespecting God. When I speak
in an ungodly way I am sinning against God.
7.
My clarity on this one came while discipline my
children. Ever notice how they interrupt you to explain and they always have
something to say or add. I started listening more after sharing this scripture
with them. It is amazing how when we are guilty, there is this need to justify
our action with words. We are just compelled to give an explanation, it makes
us feel better, but the sin is still there.
I love Proverbs; it is filled with great advice.
My last three are from Proverbs. These are three simple one. Watching what we
say keeps us from calamity or ruin.
8.
9.
10.
I hope that I have shared my heart in a loving and
thoughtful way. My conviction for this blog is to share the word of God to
encourage others and to share my journey with God.
Sharing with Top Ten Tuesday, On your heart Tuesday, and Graceful
