Psalms 141:3 “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips.”

WORDS

Read that verse again. Now, what have you said this week that you wish you could take back? Maybe it was a curt word to your spouse or child. Maybe it was a derogatory remark about someone in leadership at your church. “Oh, I would never do that.” Right! Maybe it was spreading a little “prayer request.” Words are like toothpaste. Once they are out of the mouth, it is impossible to get them back in.

TEACHING MOMENT

How do we teach our children to guard their mouth and keep watch over the door of their lips? Look at the verse one more time. We can’t! The Lord has to do it. In this verse, David is saying, “God, I can’t shut my mouth. I need you to guard and keep watch.” We can discipline our children for saying the wrong thing, and they may stop saying those things around us. But we know they will continue to talk out of turn away from us. Only the conviction of the Lord and a changed heart can cause them to stop spewing unkind or negative words.

Do they hear you doing the same? Let me challenge you today. Will you let the Lord guard and keep watch over your mouth? Will you let Him be your tongue? Will you let The Word be your words? Will you let Him do a double check of your thoughts BEFORE you speak? That is so hard, isn’t it? We all believe we have the right to be heard. Do you realize that ALL our rights were nailed to the cross? We have NO RIGHTS! The only rights we have are those given to us by the Father. We are His bondservants. We do and say what He wills.

I promise you today that someone is going to cross your path that will test you in this area. Won’t you allow Him to control that monster in your mouth? I have heard someone say that the Lord gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason. Listen to Him today and show your children how to be the Lord’s mouthpiece and not your own.