Lately – actually, it’s been a while now – I’ve become convicted regarding my speech. For starters, it’s about my use of the English language when I get angry or frustrated. But then it has to do with conversations and whether or not I’m being a good listener. (Like, when you’re not really listening to a guy, because you can’t wait to say your say. Nope. That’s not being a good listener.)
It’s likely, if I were a better listener, 1) I might not use too many words that end up being annoying and 2) I might not fail to really understand a brother – which should lead me to say something more helpful, more on point, for his sake.
So, which is it? Better speech-er or better listen-er? Or both?
As far as speech goes, take a look at this list of how many Bible verses speak to our speech and how real-life they are.
What if I engrafted these into my head, then pondered them, fairly often, so they’d become second nature?
The other day, I experimented at Sonic with extra chocolate in my chocolate shake. Surprisingly, the effect was way more intense than anticipated – like a dark-chocolate zing, each sip.
What’s been your experience when you’ve experimented with engrafting God’s Word into your life, via memorization and/or pondering it – or what the Bible calls, meditating on it?
If you’ve never tried before, consider just starting with one that lights you up, from that list of speech verses.
Sean Allen
Equipping Pastor for Men’s and Recovery Ministries