How to avoid apologizing.

I've noticed lately that I'm averaging about one apology a week.  Minimum.

You see, I tend to be a little blunt. 

I also tend to think that I'm right - a lot. 

Turns out, I'm not as right as I think I am on a regular basis.

Imagine that.

Proverbs 12:18 says "There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing."

You see, when I just pop off with whatever runs through my head, I'm jabbing my friends and family with a sword.  I'm hurting them with my thoughtless words.  I'm being inconsiderate.  And I'm definitely not showing God's love to them. 

When I overhear my boys fighting, I always ask them to check their words.

Is what you're saying nice?  Is it necessary?  Does it glorify God?

You see, not everything that we have to say is going to be nice.  Sometimes, there are hard situations to face and those words will be necessary.

Sometimes, in the heat of the moment, I do feel that what I have to say is necessary.  I need to tell someone exactly what I think of them and the situation or I will explode!  Which means there's probably nothing nice in what I'm about to say.

But the standard that I have to measure my speech comes from number three.  Does it glorify God in my saying it?  You see, this is where I really need a pause button.  To stop and think before I speak. I need to ask myself if by what I'm saying, am I bringing others closer to Christ or driving them away?  When they see me do they say "I wish I had what she has (Jesus)" or do they say "If that's what Jesus does in her life, she can keep Him, I don't need that".

Psalm 19:14 is my prayer for my words:

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

Scripture Memory Team: November 2013.

Can you believe we're almost at the end of the year with our memory verse challenge? 

I don't know about you, but I have loved doing this. 

I think I'm going to continue this next year and just keep adding to my little box of note cards. 

This month's verse for me is Deuteronomy 10:21 -

"He is your praise, and He is your God, who has done for you these great and awesome things, which your eyes have seen."

And while I love the words of this verse, I really love the context.  You see, this is after the children of Israel have left Egypt.  If you look up to verse 20, they're being instructed that they are going to serve and cling to the Lord because He is their God.  

How often do we come up against obstacles in our lives and start to fret? 

I do it.  I do it a lot.

Yet when I look back, I can see all these great and awesome things that the Lord has done for me.

Did you hear that? 

Me. 

Just some little ol' gal in West Virginia. 

Not because of me or anything I can do. 

But just because I'm His. 

So the next time I'm facing a difficult situation - and there will be a next time - instead of worrying, I'm going to remember the great and awesome things that the Lord has brought me through. 

And know that He will do it again.