Colossians 4:6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

Ok, well this should be “fun”…….. this is as much for me as it is for anyone.  I do my best to not get caught up in “gossip” because it isn’t godly and it destroys, but let’s face it, there are times when we say something that probably didn’t need to be said either to someone or about someone else.  Now, let me also clarify that there are times when something needs to be told in order to protect someone else or for correction and there are times you need to get something off your chest to a trusted friend.  We aren’t talking about that, this has to do with telling things that don’t need to be told! 

I love this quote and I posted it on Facebook yesterday and it was a source of deep conviction as I read it this morning:  “Before you speak, let your words pass through three gates; Is it true?  Is it necessary?  Is it kind?”  I like to make sure that what I am saying is true, but I have to admit that I have said things at times that were certainly not necessary so therefore it wasn’t kind!  Ugh!  We live in the Greater Nashville area so let’s face it, it is easy to know things about artists, especially country artists because they are everywhere, but that doesn’t mean that even if we know it, that it needs to be repeated!  We all have things like that in our lives, things we may know or feel but after it passes the “truth” we have to ask ourselves if it is necessary or kind to actually say something.  

If we want to be the men and women of God that we are called to be then we need to make sure that our words are gracious and honoring in God’s sight all the time!  We need to ask Him to guard our mouths and when necessary just put your hand over our mouths Lord!  We want to be different than the rest of the world so our lives will stand out.  Let’s begin today with our words!  

Philippians 4: 8 says, “Finally, brothers (sisters), whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”  If those things are our focus, guess what we will talk about!  Let’s ask God today to help us focus on the things that honor Him so that the words of our mouth will follow suit!  Let’s become all we were created to be so others are drawn to Him!  The best is yet to come!

Quote: “Each of us will one day be judged by our standard of life, not by our standard of living; by our measure of giving, not by our measure of wealth; by our simple goodness, not by our seeming greatness.”  ~ William Arthur Ward