My Words and My Thoughts

"May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer." Psalm 19:14

This is one I am working on. What are my words and my thoughts? What would God think of the words that I am about to speak? If my thoughts were broadcast on a loudspeaker for all to hear, would I continue to think like that? It completely changes your perspective when you really think and dwell on the fact that God knows each and every thought. Every single unpleasant, mean, hateful, rotten thought. I've mentioned this before here on the blog, but it's definitely something I'm being challenged with a lot right now. That means that this is something I'm working on, and definitely not something I've mastered. At all.

My thoughts... sometimes I'll just wonder even where a thought comes from, really. And I guess that's why this issue needs attention. When I'm driving is an excellent opportunity to work on this. It drives me batty when someone tailgates. I'm kind of a speed-limit driver. Sometimes I'll push it a few extra digits when we're running behind, but for the most part, I realize that I have the most precious cargo to me in my vehicle, and I'm going to drive the speed limit. But when those people pull up so close to my vehicle, trying to nudge me to go faster, I get annoyed and sometimes angry, and I'll think all kinds of nasty thoughts about them. Why do I do that? Really, did you ever stop and wonder where these thoughts come from in the first place? Why on earth do bad names leap to the forefront of my mind all the time when I'm driving? So I've been trying to be a more relaxed driver. The first step is to leave early for wherever we are going so that I don't have that time hanging over my head. Yes, sometimes that means we get to dance class 20 minutes early, or we get to church almost half-an-hour early, but it really does help me to be more relaxed when I'm driving. And when I'm relaxed, I'm less likely to be scoping out the other cars and drivers, just looking for ways that they annoy me. Sometimes, it's the practical steps that can help the spiritual steps make advances.

As to the words part... well, I already live by a rule where if I can't say something to someones face, I don't say it behind their face either. Life is just so much better and so much more pleasant when you evict the gossip. But to me it's more than that, it's about meaning what I say in my interactions with people. When I ask someone how they are doing, it's because I genuinely want to know. I'm giving them an opportunity to talk if they need it, and perhaps there will be something there that I can pray with them on, or for them. And that's another thing. How many times, as Christians, do we say to someone "we'll pray about that."' We say that a lot, but... how often do we follow through? How often do we really mean what we've said? And I'm talking about more than a fleeting thought to heaven. I'm talking about really and truly praying and interceding on behalf of that person. When we don't follow through, when we tell someone that we'll pray, and then we don't, why, we're lying. Straight up, we're lying to their face when we say that we'll pray and then we don't. And a liar is not someone I want to be.

So I'm working on my words. I'm learning to speak what I mean, and not just fluff, and not just what the other person wants to hear. There is a lot of merit to the saying about thinking before speaking. And see, that's where the thoughts and the words intertwine. What comes out of our mouth reflects what we're thinking. So it's worth it to take a minute to think first and think about what would please God? What would he have you say to that person?

May my thoughts and words be pleasing at all times. And may God use my words in whatever way he needs them.