Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Man's Own Way, No Way!!!

The last time I read Proverbs I fell in love with the book. I'm reading Proverbs again, and there is stuff that is just popping out at me. Here are a couple of verses that I came across.

There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. Proverbs 14:12

All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the Lord weighteth the spirits. Proverbs 16:2

When I read these verses, it made me examine my own life. I thought how the first verse talked about a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. I thought about if I'm hurting someone. Could I be killing their spirit with something I'm doing or saying. I think about children who have committed suicide because someone has said something negative to them.

I know what it is like to be made fun of. And I don't want to say anything that could be hurtful to someone. Even if I'm talking about something with someone else, I don't want to say something that might be overheard that is negative. A couple of months ago, my mom took it upon herself to quit saying the word hate. I have never heard my mom say that she hated anyone. But she was tired of saying that she hated this or hated that. So she started disciplining herself to not say the word hate. Well it caught on and I decided that I wanted to stop saying the word hate also. (Just to let people know, I don't say I hate people.) Well the other day I believe I said something about hating a commercial or something and it hit me, I said hate. I looked at my mom and I said why didn't you say something.

Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. Ephesians 4:29

The word corrupt comes from the Greek word sapros meaning rotten or worthless. I don't want to say some worthless words that could be killing someone inside.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Beautiful post, Starla! Words are more powerful than we sometimes give them credit for being.

I've always thought that the old saying about sticks and stones was pointless and ridiculous; because, in all honesty, names/words do hurt people to the very core.

Shonda said...

Oh so good! We must discipline ourselves. "The tongue has the power of life and death..." Proverbs 18:21

Blessings in Christ-

Kristi said...

Very good!!! Great post, Starla. We must watch our tongue! Words are as daggers.

~Kristi