As the weather begins to warm, well maybe a little, the sounds from the outdoors enter into our homes through the open windows. The sounds of birds singing, lawn mowers running and children playing outside, are all signs that summer is getting closer; and we welcome the fresh air as well as the outside noises to enter our homes. There are few things this time of year that we enjoy more than a breeze blowing through the house.
One thing that we fail to consider many times is the fact that, if we can hear what is going on outside, the chances are, that people outside can hear what is going on inside our homes. At times people will play music at a loud enough volume for neighbors to get annoyed by their lack of courtesy. People in cars drive by with their windows down and vibrate the walls of the house.
However, many times we don’t think about how we talk to each other in our homes, sometimes our volume can be loud enough for the neighbors to hear our conversations. A heated discussion can be heard from a long way away on a quiet summer day. Our words not only hurt those that we are speaking at, but they also hurt our testimony. It is hard to control our tongue during times of stress and anger. The old adage, “silence is golden,” should be our default setting during times of turmoil.
James 3:7-8 For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: 8 but the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
The Bible has much to say about the words we let fly out of our mouths. It is one of the things in life that the Lord knows we will struggle with until we get to heaven. The tongue can be a blessing and a curse. It needs to be our prayer that the Lord teach us to keep our words acceptable in His sight.
Psalm 19:14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.
Just remember, that our inside words can make it to the outside this time of year.